,  i 

UNDER  THE  CARE 

- 

Board  of 

Torci^n  IDissions 
of  the 

Presbyterian 

Church 
in  the 

u.  $.  n. 

Historical 

Sketch 
IDi$$ion$  in 
Siam 

Seventh  Edition 

Revised  by 

The  Rev.  A.  Willard  Cooper 

The  Uloman’s  foreign  . 
missionary  Society  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church, 
Ulitherspoon  Building. 
Philadelphia  :  :  1915 

Price,  10  cents 

Historical 
Sketch 
missions  in 
Siam 


UNDER  THE  CARE 
OF  TH  E 

Board  of 
Foreign  fDissions 
of  the 

Prcsbvtcrian 
Church 
in  the 
U.  $.  }\, 


Seventh  Edition 

Revised  by 

The  Rev.  A.  Willard  Cooper 


The  Uloman’s  Toreign 
missionary  Society  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church. 
Ulitherspoon  Building. 
Philadelphia  :  :  1915 


Historical  Sketch  of  the  Missions  in  Siam. 


Note. — The  materials  for  this  Historical  Sketch  have  been  compiled 
from  so  many  sources  that  in  many  cases  it  has  not  seemed  necessary 
or  feasible  to  use  quotation  marks,  or  name  the  souree.  Special  effort 
has  been  made,  hov/ever,  in  this  revised  edition,  to  verify  each  statement 
and  eliminate  anything  inaccurate,  doubtful  or  out  of  date. 


THE  LAND. 

The  territory  of  Siam  is  shaped  something  like 
GEOGRAPHY,  a  hatchet,  with  the  long,  narrow  Malay  penin¬ 
sula  for  a  handle.  It  is  situated  in  the  heart 
of  the  Indo-Chinese  peninsula,  which  forms  the  extreme 
southeastern  corner  of  Asia.  British  and  French  possessions 
have  now  been  extended  till  they  meet  on  the  north,  thus 
separating  Siam  from  its  old  neighbor,  China.  On  the  west, 
Siam  is  bounded  by  British  Burma  and  the  Indian  Ocean; 
on  the  south  by  the  Federated  Malay  States  (British),  the 
Gulf  of  Siam,  and  French  Cambodia;  and  on  the  east  by  the 
great  Me  Kong  River,  which  forms  the  boundary  between 
French  Indo-China  (formerly  the  Kingdom  of  Annam)  and 
the  still  independent  Kingdom  of  Siam. 

A  long,  high  mountain  range  extends  all  along  the  western 
frontier,  from  the  far  north  down  through  the  Malay  penin¬ 
sula.  The  extreme  northern  province.  Monton  Payap,  is 
hilly  throughout,  but  especially  in  the  Chieng  Mai  region, 
where  some  peaks  are  over  six  thousand  feet  high. 

Eastern  Siam  is  mostly  a  plateau,  with  an  elevation  of  a  few 
hundred  feet;  and  central  Siam  a  low-lying  plain,  which  slopes 
very  gently  south-southeast  to  the  Gulf  of  Siam. 

In  the  basin  of  each  of  the  four  great  rivers  which  rise  in 
the  north — the  Me  Ping,  Me  Wang,  Me  Yome  and  Nan — 
is  a  wide,  level,  fertile  plain,  encircled  by  hills.  At  Pak- 
nanipo,  in  the  heart  of  Siam,  these  four  streams  unite  to 
form  Siam’s  chief  river,  the  Chow  Phya,  commonly  known 
to  Europeans  as  the  Menam,  “Mother  of  Waters,”  though 


4 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


me  nam  in  Siamese  means  simply  river,  and  is  not  a  proper 
name  at  all. 

Thirty  miles  south  of  Paknampo,  this  stream  divides  again, 
its  overflow  forming  the  headwaters  of  the  Tacheen  River, 
and  through  these  two  roughly  parallel  channels,  with  mouths 
twenty  miles  apart,  flows  through  a  rich  alluvial  plain,  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles  farther  to  the  sea.  Farther  west 
are  the  next  greatest  river,  the  Me  Klong,  on  the  banks  of 
which  are  Ratburee  and  several  other  large  towns,  and  the 
smaller  Petchaburee  River,  which  bears  the  name  of  the 
chief  town  on  its  banks. 

All  these  rivers  deposit  large  quantities  of  silt,  and  have 
formed  banks  so  much  above  the  general  level  that  during 
flood  season  the  country  farther  back  is  inundated,  in  some 
places  to  a  depth  of  six  feet.  This  silt  is  rapidly  extending 
the  coast  line  into  the  shallow  Gulf  of  Siam,  and  obstructs 
the  mouth  of  each  river  with  great  sand  bars.  Even  at  high¬ 
est  tide,  no  ship  drawing  fifteen  feet  of  water  can  cross  the 
Chow  Phya  bar,  so  that  part  of  the  heavy  cargoes  to  or  from 
Bangkok  must  be  transferred  to  lighters.  Were  this  bar 
dredged  out,  Bangkok  would  rank  as  one  of  the  finest  harbors 
in  the  world. 

The  Siamese  are  an  amphibious  race,  children  often  learn¬ 
ing  to  swim  almost  as  soon  as  to  walk.  They  are  the  finest 
watermen  in  the  world,  and  proficient  boat-builders,  though 
much  of  this  building  is  now  done  by  the  ubiquitous  Chinese. 

The  chief  routes  of  trade  and  travel  are  the  rivers  and 
intersecting  canals,  which  form  a  network  all  over  lower 
Siam,  and  the  villages  cluster  along  the  banks.  Overland 
roads  better  than  rough  cart  tracks  are  very  few. 

The  eastern  (Nan)  branch  of  the  Chow  Phya  is  navigable 
for  steam  launches  all  the  way  to  the  Lao  border  at  Uteradit; 
but  the  western  (Raheng)  branch  is  too  shallow,  and  ob¬ 
structed  by  numerous  sandbars. 

As  the  traveler  nears  the  I.ao  border,  steep  hills  close  in 
upon  the  river  banks,  affording  picturesque  scenery,  but 
obstructing  travel  by  swift  and  sometimes  dangerous  rapids. 
The  most  difficult  rapids  of  all  are  in  the  course  of  the  Me 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


5 


Ping,  below  Chieng  Mai,  where  there  are  more  than  thirty 
to  be  passed.  This  isolation  of  the  Lao  territory,  however, 
will  soon  be  ended  by  the  completion  of  the  railway  from 
Bangkok  through  Pitsanuloke,  which  is  expected  by  1917  to 
reach  its  terminus  at  Chieng  Mai. 

The  usual  season  of  heavy  rains  is  from  May  to 
CLIMATE.  October  inclusive.  The  average  annual  rainfall  is 
abundant,  varying  in  different  parts  of  the  coun¬ 
try  from  four  feet  to  eight  feet. 

.  Lying  wholly  in  the  tropics,  between  5°  and  21°  of  north 
latitude,  with  large  bodies  of  water  on  three  sides,  Siam  en¬ 
joys  a  very  equable  climate — seldom  colder  than  50°  F.,  or 
hotter  than  100°  in  the  shade. 

Many  newcomers  from  Europe  or  America  find  the  climate 
very  trying,  some  of  the  most  prevalent  diseases  being 
cholera,  dysentery,  malarial  and  typhoid  fevers,  liver  trou¬ 
bles,  small-pox  and  tuberculosis.  Yet  such  as  acclimate 
favorably  during  the  first  two  or  three  years,  and  are  tem¬ 
perate  and  prudent  in  their  habits,  may  reasonably  hope  to 
enjoy  health  and  vigor  for  a  long  term  of  service.  The 
records  show  that  thirty-three  of  our  Presbyterian  mission¬ 
aries  and  six  missionaries  of  other  societies  have  already 
rounded  out  a  quarter-century  in  Siam;  and  eight  of  these — 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dean,  Mrs.  Bradley,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  E.  P.  Dun¬ 
lap,  Dr.  Wilson,  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  McGilvary — have  been 
able  to  live  in  Siam  for  periods  ranging  from  forty  up  to 
fifty-five  years.  Of  the  thirty-three  Presbyterians,  four  have 
entered  into  rest,  but  the  other  twenty-nine  are  all  looking 
forward  to  a  still  longer  term  of  service  in  Siam. 

The  most  important  domestic  animals  of  Siam 
ANIMALS,  are  elephants  (employed  chiefly  in  the  teak  indus¬ 
try  of  the  north),  water  buffaloes  and  bullocks 
(used  in  farm  work  or  for  food,  but  the  cows  not  milked), 
ponies  (never  used  in  farm  work,  but  chiefly  for  riding),  dogs, 
swine,  ducks,  and  fowls. 

The  chief  v;ild  animals  include  the  tiger,  leopard,  bear, 
rhinoceros,  monkey,  gibbon  and  deer. 

Pythons  grow  to  thirty  feet  long.  There  are  forty-four 


6 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


non-poisonous  species  of  snakes,  and  twelve  poisonous 
species,  the  hooded  cobra  being  the  most  common.  Reptilian 
life  includes  the  crocodile,  the  chameleon,  gecko  and  other 
lizards,  and  turtles,  large  and  small.  The  country  swarms 
with  insects.  Fish  are  abundant,  and  there  are  many  kinds 
of  birds. 

The  famous  “white  elephant,”  so-called,  which  is  really  a 
pinkish  brown  albino,  though  not  actually  worshipped,  is 
held  in  high  esteem,  and  appears  on  the  Siamese  flag  as  the 
national  emblem,  just  as  we  use  the  eagle,  or  Britons  the  lion*. 

The  tropical  sun,  copious  rains,  and  rich  allu- 
PRODUCTS.  vial  soil,  combine  tO'  make  Siam  a  garden  spot 
of  foliage,  flowers  and  fruit.  Rice  is  the  staple 
food  and  chief  export,  the  value  exported  being  fourfold 
greater  than  all  other  exports  combined.  The  first  mill  for 
hulling  this  rice  was  built  in  1858.  Bangkok  has  now  twenty- 
six  large  rice  mills,  all  but  four  of  then  owned  and  worked 
by  Cdiinese. 

Next  in  value  to  rice  as  an  export  comes  teak  lumber. 
Siam  yields  also  many  other  valuable  kinds  of  wood,  such  as 
rosewood,  ebony,  oak  and  pine. 

Other  leading  exports  are  tin,  dried  fish,  bullocks,  hides 
and  horns,  white  pepper,  silks,  cotton,  stick  lac,  and  edible 
birds’  nests. 

The  chief  products,  not  exported  but  all  used  at  home, 
are  bamboo,  tropical  fruits,  maize,  palm  or  cane  sugar,  betel 
(areca)  nut,  and  tobacco. 

The  chief  imports  include  cotton  and  silk  goods,  opium 
and  li<|Uors,  sugar,  kerosene  oil,  tinned  provisions,  machinery, 
hardware,  and  gunny-bags. 

Siam  has  much  undeveloped  mineral  wealth ; 
INDUSTRIES,  but  mining  industry  has  thus  far  been  seri¬ 
ously  hampered  by  scarcity  of  laborers  that 
could  be  depended  on  for  hard  and  steady  work,  and  by  lack 
of  facilities  for  transport.  There  are  no  coal  mines  and  no 
■  extensive  manufactures.  Siam  is  a  country  that  raises  hogs 
in  abundance,  yet  imports  all  its  cured  hams  and  bacon;  that 
exports  live  bullocks,  yet  imports  its  tinned  beef  from 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


7 


Chicago;  that  exports  raw  cotton,  yet  imports  cotton  goods 
back  from  Europe;  a  country  where  the  best  brands  of  coffee, 
though  grown  in  nearby  Java,  can  be  obtained  only  by  way 
of  distant  London.  Such  typical  facts  illustrate  both  the 
necessity  and  future  promise  of  industrial  development. 

Tin  mining  is  the  chief  industry  of  the  extreme  south;  and 
lumbering,  mostly  carried  on  by  British  capital  and  Burmese 
labor,  of  the  extreme  north.  Siam  produces  and  exports  more 
teak  than  any  other  country  in  the  world,  Burma  ranking 
second.  Central  Siam  is  a  land  of  small  farmers  and  gar¬ 
deners,  with  few  cities  or  large  towns.  The  average  farm 
is  only  about  seventeen  acres.  Present  methods  of  cultiva¬ 
tion  are  primitive  and  crude;  but  the  efforts  of  the  govern¬ 
ment  to  extend  the  irrigation  system  and  introduce  improved 
methods  of  farming,  will  doubtless  make  it  possible  for  Siam 
to  support  many  times  the  present  population. 

THE  PEOPLE. 

According  to  the  conclusions  of  such 
RACES  AND  TONGUES,  specialists  in  archaeology  as  Dr. 

Frankfurter  and  the  late  Col.  Gerini, 
the  whole  Indo-Chinese  peninsula  was  peopled  in  prehistoric 
times  by  successive  waves  of  overland  migration  from  the 
highlands  of  Tibet  and  Southwestern  China,  southward  to 
the  Indian  Ocean  and  Gulf  of  Siam. 

The  earliest  wave  was  probably  a  Negritic  race,  the  frag¬ 
ments  of  which  now  appear  in  various  rude  hill  tribes. 

Next  came  the  “Proto-AIalays,”  a  Mongolian  race,  who 
were  driven  on  by  later  invaders  to  the  islands  of  the  Indian 
and  Pacific  Oceans,  where,  mingling  with  the  aborigines,  they 
gave  rise  to  the  various  Malay  groups.  In  the  twelfth  cen¬ 
tury  A.  D.,  they  recrossed  to  the  Malay  Peninsula,  and  are 
still  numerous  in  Southern  Siam. 

Then  followed  a  double  wave  of  Mons  or  Peguans  in  the 
west,  and  Cambodians  in  the  east.  A  highly  civilized  Cau¬ 
casian  race,  immigrants  by  sea  from  India,  mingling  with  this 
Cambodian  stock,  founded  a  great  kingdom,  which  flourished 


8 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


from  the  seventh  century,  and  in  the  famous  ruins  of  Angkor 
has  left  evidences  of  marvelous  architectural  and  artistic  skill. 

Later  came  two  successive  waves  of  the  great  “Tai”  race — 
first  the  Siamese  and  then  the  kindred  Lao,  often  incorrectly 
spelled  Laos.  Modern  scholars  have  traced  back  tlrpe  name 
“Siam”  for  one  thousand  years,  and  identify  it  with  the  other 
form,  “Shan.” 

TENTATIVE  DIAGRAM  OF  THE  TAI  OR  SHAN  RACE. 

('Prepared  by  Rev.  John  H.  Freeman,  in  consultation  with 
Dr.  W.  C.  Dodd.) 

Eastern  Tai. 

1.  Illiterate  or  N on-Buddhist  Tai. 

(About  8,(XX),ooo.  Found  mainly  in  the  ancestral  home  of  the  race, 
South  China  and  Tonkin.) 

(a)  White  and  Black  Tai — Tonkin  and  S.  E.  Yunnan. 

(b)  Tai  Tho — Tonkin  and  Kwangsi. 

(c)  Tai  Chawng — Kwangsi,  Kwangtung,  Kweichau. 

(d)  Tai  Loong — Eastern  Yunnan. 

(e)  Tai  Yai — E.  Yunnan,  W.  Kwangsi,  S.  W.  Kweichau. 

2.  Literate  or  Buddhist  Tai. 

{6,000,000.  Found  along  both  banks  of  the  MeKong  or  Cambodia 
River,  from  Talifu  in  Western  Yunnan,  south  and  eastward  through 
British  and  French  territory,  and  throughout  northern  and  eastern 
Siam.) 

(a)  Tai  Niia  and  Lem — S.  W.  Yunnan. 

(b)  Tai  Kiln — Keng  Tung  State  and  Northern  Siam. 

(c)  Tai  Lii — Sipsong  Punna,  Keng  Tung,  and  North  Siam. 

(d)  Tai  Yuen — North  Siam. 

(e)  Tai  Lao — Eastern  Siam  and  French  Laos. 

3.  Siamese  Proper. 

(4,000,000.  Special  field  of  South  Siam  Mission.) 

Western  Tai,  or  Western  Shan. 

The  special  field  of  the  American  Baptist  Shan  Mission.  Mainly 
west  of  the  Salween  River.  Data  at  hand  insufficient  to  estimate  their 
number.  Great  traders,  and  so  found  at  trading  centres  east  of  the 
Salween  and  down  into  Siam,  but  nowhere  forming  a  large  percentage 
of  the  population  in  these  districts. 

“Although  the  exploring  work  of  the  (North  Siam)  Mission 
has  brought  our  missionaries  into  intimate  touch  with  almost 
all  the  sections  of  the  Tai  race,  our  organized  work  thus  far 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


9 


has  been  directed  mainly  to  the  Yuen,  Lii  and  Kiin,  who  form 
together  scarcely  one-fourth  of  the  12,000,000  Tai  for  whom 
we  plead.” 

“Both  in  China  and  Indo-China,  the  Tai  people  have  an 
honorable  history,  that  far  antedates  that  of  the  Anglo-Saxon. 
Inscriptions  discovered  in  I>ampoon  Province  show  that  in 
the  days  of  Wyclifife  and  Chaucer,  a  civilization  little  inferior 
to  that  of  to-day  existed  in  Siam.”  (Freeman.) 

“The  Siamese  and  the  Lao  tongues,”  says  Dr.  McGilvary, 
“are  two  closely  related  branches  of  the  same  linguistic  stock. 
The  idiom  and  the  great  body  of  common  words  are  nearly 
the  same,  differing  chiefly  in  accent  and  intonation.  Siamese 
is  the  speech  of  the  ruling  race  throughout  the  kingdom;  and 
it  was  easy  to  foresee  that  the  local  dialect  of  the  northern 
provinces  must  eventually  give  way  before  it,  especially  for 
all  official  and  literary  purposes.  The  chief  obstacle  has  been 
the  wholly  different  character.  Were  the  two  alike  in  this 
respect,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  standard  form  of  speech 
would  take  the  place  of  the  dialectical  almost  without  notice.” 

The  Laocien  dialect  of  Eastern  Siam,  both  spoken  and 
written,  is  intermediate  between  the  other  two.  All  three 
dialects  as  spoken  are  mutually  intelligible  in  the  main, 
though  each  has  borrowed  from  India  a  peculiar  alphabet  of 
its  own.  They  are  all  tonal  like  the  Chinese,  but  show  no 
affinity  to  the  Mon-Annam  or  Malayan  linguistic  groups. 
Those  whom  we  call  Siamese  always  call  themselves  “Tai,” 
meaning  P'ranks  or  free  people. 

The  oldest  inscription  using  the  Siamese  language  was 
found  at  Sukotai,  where  King  Phra  Ruang  in  1250  A.  D. 
established  the  capital  of  the  first  independent  Siamese  State. 
Just  a  century  later.  King  Utong  moved  his  capital  far  down 
the  Chow  Phya  River  to  Ayuthia,  within  sixty  miles  in  an 
airline  from  the  Gulf.  That  date,  1350  A.  D.,  marks  both 
the  beginning  of  authentic  Siamese  history,  and  the  end  of 
Cambodian  supremacy  in  the  Chow  Phya  region.  The  long 
rivalry  between  the  waning  power  of  Cambodia  and  the 
growing  power  of  Siam  ended  with  the  passing  of  the  rem¬ 
nant  of  Cambodia  under  PTench  control  in  1863;  but  many 


HTSTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


]0 

traces  of  Cambodian  influence  still  appear  in  Siamese  customs 
and  religious  rites. 

The  Yuen  Tai,  or  Lao,  are  a  less  cultured  branch  of  the 
same  race,  physcally  taller  and  stronger  and  more  vigorous 
in  character. 

Still  more  recent  immigrants  from  China,  with  their  Simo- 
Chinese  offspring,  though  reported  in  the  census  as  Siamese, 
and  no  longer  enumerated  separately,  are  very  numerous  and 
influential.  To  quote  again  from  Dr.  Brown;  “The  Chinese 
are  adding  a  more  virile  strain.  The  king  himself  is  said  to 
be  part  Chinese.  As  in  the  Philippine  Islands,  the  Chinese 
almost  absolutely  control  the  trade  of  the  kingdom,  and 
establish  themselves  more  permanently  than  in  America. 
They  are  to  be  found  in  all  our  schools,  hospitals  and 
churches.  The  blending  of  the  two  races  is  such — practi¬ 
cally  every  Chinese  having  a  Siamese  wife  and  half-caste 
children — that  it  would  be  quite  impracticable  to  separate 
them  in  mission  work.” 

Such  infusion  of  fresh  northern  blood  is  a  very  important 
providential  agency  for  counteracting  the  natural  tendency 
of  the  human  race  gradually  to  deteriorate  in  any  tropical 
climate. 

The  best  national  types  are  evolved  by  the  blending  of 
diverse  though  not  incompatible  races.  The  American  Indian 
is  not  the  ideal  American;  nor  was  there  ever,  perhaps,  a 
more  truly  representative  Siamese  than  the  honored  and 
lamented  Rev.  Boon  Boon-Itt,  whose  ancestors  were  all 
originally  either  Cambodian  or  Chinese. 

The  modern  Siamese,  like  modern  Americans,  are  among 
the  most  composite  peoples  on  earth.  To  the  chief  racial 
elements — Chinese,  Cambodian  and  Tai — there  is  added  a 
strain  from  every  other  Indo-Chinese  stock — Annamese,  Bur¬ 
mese,  Karen,  Peguan  and  Malay.  There  are  also  Moham¬ 
medans  from  India  and  Ceylon,  Japanese,  and  at  least  two 
thousand  representatives  of  the  white  races  of  Europe  and 
America.  In  ability  to  assimilate  and  unify  such  a  medley 
of  races  and  tongues,  Siam  compares  not  unfavorably  with 
the  United  States.  The  recent  census  shows  a  population 
of  8,150,000. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


1 1 

The  Siamese  people  generally  are  less  bound 
CHARACTEP.  by  prejudice  and  ancient  custom  than  the  pure- 
blooded  Chinese,  more  courteous  and  agree¬ 
able  in  manners,  more  docile  and  readily  influenced,  whether 
to  good  or  evil.  They  are  submissive  to  authority,  respect¬ 
ful  to  parents,  extremely  fond  of  children,  given  to  hospi¬ 
tality,  and  very  generous  in  helping  those  in  need.  Grada¬ 
tions  of  rank  and  social  position  are  sharply  defined,  but  the 
caste  system  is  unknown.  Women,  though  regarded  as 
lacking  in  merit  and  inferior  to  men,  enjoy  equal  property 
rights,  and  in  general  far  better  treatment  and  more  freedom 
and  influence  than  in  most  heathen  lands. 

Mentally,  the  Siamese  excel  in  memory  but  not  in  close 
reasoning.  They  are  bright,  but  rather  superficial.  They 
are  excessively  fond  of  amusement,  and  seem  never  to  “put 
away  childish  things,”  but  waste  much  time  in  holidays  and 
sports.  Though  lacking  in  endurance  for  severe  and  long- 
sustained  effort,  physical  or  mental,  they  apply  themselves 
at  times  with  great  energy  and  enthusiasm.  And  much  of 
the  indolence  with  which  they  are  often  reproached  is  merely 
a  natural  consequence  of  unsanitary  conditions,  which  breed 
hookworm  and  other  enervating  diseases,  of  present  indus¬ 
trial  conditions,  or  of  Buddhist  teaching  and  ideals. 

"There  is  no  occasion  to  struggle  for  existence  in  Siam,” 
says  Dr.  Brown;  “and  it  is  therefore  not  surprising  that  peo¬ 
ple  take  life  easily .  I  marvel  not  that  the  people  are 

so  backward,  but  that  they  are  so  forward,  and  that  I  find 
them  making  modern  improvements  which  cannot  be  paral¬ 
leled  in  any  Asiatic  country  I  have  visited,  except  Japan.” 

Morally,  the  Siamese,  like  other  heathen  people  in  every 
land,  are  commonly  untruthful  and  unchaste.  Divorce  and 
remarriage  of  both  parties  are  of  frequent  occurrence.  Poly¬ 
gamy  is  sanctioned  both  by  law  and  usage,  though  common 
only  among  the  higher  classes. 

The  habits  of  chewing  the  betel  or  areca  palm  nut,  prac¬ 
ticed  by  both  sexes,  and  of  cigarette  smoking  by  men  and 
boys  down  to  a  very  tender  age,  are  well-nigh  universal.  In¬ 
temperance  is  prevalent,  and  opium  smoking  still  more  so. 


12 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


But  the  characteristic  national  vice  is  g'ambling.  In  recent 
years  the  government  has  closed  all  the  large  gambling  halls 
except  some  in  Bangkok,  but  many  other  forms  of  betting 
and  gambling,  such  as  games  of  cards  or  dice,  fish-fights  and 
cock-fights,  are  still  licensed,  and  yield  a  large  revenue  to  the 
public  treasury. 

The  government  of  Siam  is  a  hereditary 
GOVERNMENT,  monarchy,  the  succession  being  determined 

either  by  the  king  during  his  lifetime,  or  at 
his  death  by  the  “Senabodi”  (Council  of  Princes),  but  usually 
passing  to  the  eldest  son  that  can  claim  full  royal  blood  on 
both  sides. 

Though  in  theory  an  absolute  monarch,  the  king,  since 
1895,  has  voluntarily  sharjed  executive  powers  with  the 
“Senabodi,”  a  Cabinet  or  Privy  Council,  mostly  chosen  from 
princes  of  the  blood  royal,  and  shared  legislative  powers 
with  a  larger  Council  of  State  (which  includes  the  members 
of  the  smaller  Council),  to  whose  judgment  His  Majesty 
commonly  defers.  He  has  also  committed  supreme  judicial 
powers  to  a  “Dika  Court,”  which  acts  in  the  king’s  name, 
but  with  whose  decisions  he  does  not  interfere. 

Outside  the  royal  family  are  several  lower  grades  of 
nobility,  but  not  hereditary.  The  kingdom  comprises 
eighteen  “Montons”  (Provinces),  each  governed  by  a  Royal 
High  Commissioner.  All  high  officials  are  appointed  by  the 
King,  Minister  or  High  Commissioner  on  their  merits,  so 
that,  with  education  and  ability,  young  men  of  very  humble 
birth  often  rise  to  high  position.  Local  officials  of  the  two 
lowest  grades,  “Kamnan”  and  “Village  Headman,”  are 
chosen  or  changed  at  the  will  of  their  neighbors.  Such  a 
blending  of  monarchic,  aristocratic  and  democratic  features 
of  government  seems  admirably  suited  to  the  present  needs 
of  Siam. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


13 


POLITICAL  HISTORY. 

During  the  period  from  A.  D.  1350  to  1767,  thirty-six 
Siamese  kings  in  succession  reigned  in  Ayuthia.  This  period 
was  one  of  frequent  warfare  among  the  rival  kingdoms  of 
Indo-China,  with  varying  fortunes,  though  in  the  main  Siam 
fully  held  her  own.  During  the  sixteenth  and  seventeenth 
centuries,  Siam  opened  the  door  for  commercial  relations 
with  the  Japanese,  Portuguese,  Dutch  and  French  in  turn. 

The  most  noted  man  of  this  period  was  Constance  Phaul- 
con,  an  adventurer  from  the  Greek  Island  of  Cephalonia, 
who  by  his  ability  and  address  repaired  his  ruined  fortunes, 
and  finally  rose  to  be  the  favorite  and  Prime  Minister  of 
the  King  of  Siam.  But  his  intrigues  in  the  interest  of  France 
and  the  jealousy  of  the  Siamese  nobles,  led  to  his  violent 
death  in  1688,  when  the  leader  of  the  anti-foreign  party,  Opra 
Pit  Rachard,  seized  the  throne,  founding  a  new  dynasty.  The 
foreigners  themselves  were  chiefly  responsible  for  this  anti- 
foreign  reaction,  which  was  provoked  by  their  abuse  of 
.Siamese  confidence  and  hospitality,  and  their  mutual  rivalries 
and  intrigues  against  each  other  and  against  the  Siamese 
government. 

In  1767,  Burmese  invaders,  after  two  years’  siege,  took 
Ayuthia,  pursued,  discovered  and  put  to  death  the  fugitive 
king,  thus  ending  his  dynasty.  But  after  a  few  years  of  dis¬ 
order,  General  Tak  Sin,  an  able  young  Simo-Chinese,  rallied 
and  united  the  Siamese  forces,  drove  out  the  Burmese  in¬ 
vaders,  and  took  the  throne. 

The  Siamese  Civil  Era  dates  from  April  ist,  1782,  when 
the  Prime  Minister,  General  Chakkri,  a  full-blooded  Siamese, 
put  to  death  Tak  Sin,  who  is  said  to  have  become  mentally 
unbalanced,  ruling  oppressively,  and  fancying  himself  a  god. 
Chakkri  seized  the  throne  for  himself  as  King  Yaut  Fa, 
founder  of  the  present  (Mahachakkri)  dynasty,  and  moved 
the  seat  of  government  down  to  Bangkok.  This  new  city, 
only  twelve  miles  in  an  airline,  or  thirty  by  the  winding  river, 
from  the  sea,  thus  grew  to  be  the  metropolis  and  great  sea¬ 
port  of  Siam,  with  a  population  of  630,000,  though  Ayuthia, 
with  200,000,  still  ranks  next. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


T4 


At  the  death  of  King  Phra  Chom  Klao,  son  of  King  Yaut 
Fa,  Prince  Mongkut,  son  of  the  First  Queen,  was  by  Siamese 
custom  his  rightful  successor;  but  an  elder  half-brother  by 
a  queen  of  lower  rank,  intrigued  successfully  to  secure  his 
own  election  by  the  Senabodi.  Prince  Mongkut  prudently 
eliminated  himself  from  the  sphere  of  political  rivalry  by 
taking  orders  in  a  monastery,  where  he  was  granted  the  dig¬ 
nity  of  High  Priest  of  Siam.  It  was  during  the  long  reign 
of  this  King  Prawat  Tong,  1824-51,  that  Protestant  mission¬ 
aries  first  arrived  in  Siam.  This  forceful  ruler  in  1828  com¬ 
pleted  the  subjugation  of  all  the  Lao  chiefs  by  establishing 
Siamese  supremacy  over  Luang  Prabang  and  Wieng  Chan. 
P)Ut  his  violent  anti-foreign  policy  had  brought  Siam  to  the 
verge  of  war  with  England,  when  the  crisis  was  averted  only 
by  his  mortal  illness.  The  Senabodi,  no  longer  subservient 
to  a  dying  king,  refuse/!  to  confirm  the  succession  to  his  son. 
He  died  cursing  them  in  helpless  rage,  and  they  at  once 
offered  his  brother,  Mongkut.  the  throne,  April,  1851. 

This  new  Fling,  Maha  Mongkut,  was  a  man  of  studious 
tastes  and  habits,  a  patron  of  science  and  education.  He 
promptly  reversed  the  policy  of  his  immediate  predecessors, 
by  ratifying  treaties  of  amity  and  commerce  with  the  leading 
Western  nations. 

His  son.  King  Chulalongkorn,  whose  early  education  had 
for  some  years  been  entrusted  to  an  English  governess, 
showed  himself  still  more  enlightened  and  progressive.  His 
long  reign,  from  1868  to  1910,  was  an  age  of  notable  im¬ 
provements  and  reforms.  He  visited  all  the  leading  capitals 
of  Europe,  being  the  first  Siamese  King  to  travel  abroad. 
He  abolished  debt-slavery,  gradually  but  completely,  and 
greatly  mitigated  the  burdensome  corvee  system  of  forced 
labor  for  the  government.  He  celebrated  each  royal  birth¬ 
day  by  opening  a  fine  new  bridge  somewLere  in  the  capital. 
During  this  reign,  P)angkok  quite  outgrew  the  old  title, 
“Venice  of  the  East,”  for  besides  the  numerous  canals  and 
floating  houses,  a  much  greater  city  has  been  built  on  solid 
ground,  with  three  hundred  miles  of  good  macadamized 
streets,  fine  public  buildings,  several  electric  tramway  lines, 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


15 


and  electric  lights.  Bangkok  boasts  six  hundred  and  fifty 
registered  automobiles,  and  is  buying  more  annually  than  any 
other  city  of  the  Far  East.  Cable  communication  was  estab¬ 
lished  in  1883,  and  in  1885  Siam  joined  the  Postal  Union. 
The  first  short  railway  line  was  opened  in  1893;  but  seven 
hundred  miles  had  been  completed  by  1912,  of  which  all  but 
sixty-five  miles  was  owned  and  operated  by  the  government. 
The  last  annual  report  of  the  Railway  Department  showed 
that  not  one  passenger  had  been  seriously  injured  throughout 
the  year,  and  the  traffic  was  yielding  a  fair  profit  on  the 
money  invested  in  construction.  The  small  national  debt, 
which  does  not  exceed  one  year’s  revenue,  was  contracted 
only  to  hasten  further  railway  construction.  Government 
paper  money,  redeemable  at  any  provincial  treasury,  was  first 
issued  in  1901.  The  circulation  has  steadily  increased  to  over 
30,000,000  ticals  (the  tical  is  worth  about  thirty-eight  cents). 
The  metric  system  has  been  introduced,  and  a  new  decimal 
coinage.  Every  department  of  public  service  has  been  re¬ 
organized  and  greatly  improved.  A  new  penal  code  was 
promulgated  in  1908. 

In  1912  there  were  in  Bangkok  eight  thousand  telephone 
wires,  and  in  the  whole  kingdom  one  hundred  and  forty  tele¬ 
graph  stations,  six  thousand  miles  of  telegraph  wires,  and 
two  hundred  and  twenty  post  offices.  Public  works  for  sup¬ 
plying  Bangkok  with  pure  filtered  drinking  water  were  com¬ 
pleted  in  1914. 

The  total  imports  in  1900  were  valued  at  $12,000,000,  and 
exports  at  $15,000,000.  The  average  for  four  recent  years — 
1909- 19 1 3 — had  increased  to  $27,000,000  for  imports,  and 
$35,000,000  for  exports.  The  public  revenue,  meanwhile, 
increased  from  $11,000,000  (in  1902-1903)  to  $25,000,000. 
Thus  within  a  single  decade,  revenues,  imports  and  exports, 
have  all  doubled,  with  the  balance  of  trade  steadily  in  favor 
of  Siam. 

So  many  Europeans  are  employed  in  public  service  that 
motives  of  convenience  have  led  even  this  Buddhist  govern¬ 
ment  to  make  Sunday,  instead  of  their  own  sacred  day,  the 
legal  holiday,  when  most  public  offices  are  closed. 


i6 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


At  the  accession  of  King  Chulalongkorn,  feudal  conditions 
still  prevailed  in  Siam.  Each  peasant  sought  the  protection 
of  some  influential  patron  in  exchange  for  personal  service, 
not  daring  to  trust  the  law  and  the  courts  for  impartial  jus¬ 
tice.  The  Malay  Chief  of  the  far  South,  or  the  Lao  “Chow” 
of  the  far  North,  was  a  local  despot,  yielding  scarcely  more 
than  nominal  allegiance  to  the  absent  King  of  Siam.  But 
the  railway,  steam  launch,  telegraph  and  postal  service,  have 
now  made  an  effective  central  government  possible,  and  a 
wise  policy  has  gradually,  but  surely  and  effectively,  estab¬ 
lished  its  supremacy  throughout  the  kingdom.  The  govern¬ 
ment  is  now  consummating  this  tendency  toward  national 
unity  by  requiring  the  Siamese  dialect  to  be  taught  exclu¬ 
sively  in  the  public  schools  throughout  the  kingdom. 

During  the  latter  part  of  his  otherwise  prosperous  reign. 
King  Chulalongkorn  was  forced  to  yield  various  large  slices 
of  territory  to  both  his  powerful  neighbors,  France  and 
England.  However,  Siam  retains  full  independence,  which 
in  1896  France  and  England  pledged  each  other  to  respect, 
with  about  two  hundred  thousand  square  miles  of  territory 
still  left  to  her,  which  is  larger  than  either  Japan  or  the 
British  Isles,  and  equal  m  area  to  the  whole  of  France. 

Under  the  old  treaties  with  Siam,  as  formerly  in  Japan, 
each  Western  nation  claimed  extra-territorial  jurisdiction 
over  its  own  subjects.  But  by  recent  treaties,  France  has 
agreed  to  waive  such  authority  over  her  Asiatic  proteges  in 
Siam,  and  England  and  Denmark  over  all  their  citizens,  even 
white  men,  though  with  some  reservations,  notably  the  pro¬ 
vision  that  European  defendants  are  entitled  to  trial  in  a 
special  court  where  European  judges  in  Siamese  employ  will 
have  the  decisive  voice. 

The  young  King  Maha  Yajiravudh  (pronounced  Wajira- 
woot),  who  studied  in  England  1893-1902,  and  succeeded  to 
the  throne  at  the  death  of  his  royal  father  in  1910,  continues 
a  similar  liberal  and  progressive  policy. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


17 


RELIGIONS  OF  SIAM. 

The  religions  now  dominant  are  Demon  Worship 
DEMON  in  the  most  northern  province,  Monton  Payap, 
WORSHIP,  the  home  of  the  Lao  race;  and  Buddhism  in  the 
other  seventeen  provinces.  The  following  para¬ 
graph  is  condensed  from  Freeman’s  “Oriental  Land  of  the 
Free 

“Buddhism,  the  nominal  religion  of  the  Lao,  absolutely 
forbids  any  worship  of  the  evil  spirits.  ‘He  who  makes  the 
spirits  great,  that  man  is  outside  the  religion  of  Gautama.’ 
These  are  quoted  as  the  words  of  the  Buddha  himself.  Yet 
all  the  Lao  people  worship  the  spirits,  and  the  Buddhist  monks 
themselves  are  very  often  the  leaders  in  this  worship.  Why 
has  Buddhism  failed  to  drive  out  the  demon  worship  that 
here,  as  all  over  Asia,  preceded  it?  First,  because  spirit 
worship  has  always  entered  more  deeply  into  the  life  and 
soul  of  the  Lao  people  than  Buddhism.  Their  sense  of  the 
presence  and  influence  of  the  unseen  has  only  been  dulled, 
never  removed,  by  Buddhist  teachings.  Second,  because  the 
Buddha  gave  to  his  followers  no  refuge  or  strength  that  could 
deliver  them  from  the  fear  of  the  unseen. 

“Yet  even  demon  worship  may  be  a  school-master  to  lead 
to  Christ,  for  it  has  served  to  keep  alive  a  realization  that 
man  is  dependent.  There  is  everywhere  prevalent  a  sense  of 
dependence  on  unseen  spiritual  powers,  wholly  foreign  to 
the  self-dependence,  the  atheism,  of  Buddhism.  A  God  who 
created  all  and  has  power  to  deliver  from  evil  spirits,  meets 
the  need  and  longing  of  their  hearts.  Many  of  our  Christian 
people  have  thus  been  first  drawn  to  Christ.” 

The  people  of  Siam  were  converted  to  Buddhism 
BUDDHISM,  bv  foreign  missionaries  from  India  in  prehistoric 
times,  but  probably  during  the  seventh  century 
of  our  Christian  era.  By  this  time  Christian  missionaries 
had  carried  the  Gospel  to  the  far  north  and  west  of  Europe; 
but  they  missed  a  great  opportunity  in  allowing  Buddhism 
to  forestall  them  in  the  Far  East.  Knowing  nothing  of 
Christ,  and  finding  the  teachings  of  Buddha  truer  and  better 


i8 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


than  their  primitive  faith,  the  people  of  Siam  accepted  the 
best  religion  they  knew,  and  have  since  adhered  to  it  tena¬ 
ciously  through  more  than  a  thousand  years.  This  history 
proves  that  religiously  the  Siamese  are  no  fickle  race;  yet 
neither  are  they  hopelessly  conservative.  Where  Buddhist 
missionaries  succeeded  by  peaceful  influences,  without  force 
or  compulsion,  in  thus  converting  a  whole  nation,  Christian 
missionaries  need  not  fail. 

Though  Buddhists,  so-called,  are  numerous  in  many  other 
lands,  only  the  people  of  Siam,  Burma  and  Ceylon  still  adhere 
to  “orthodox  Buddhism,”  and  since  the  passing  of  Ceylon 
and  Burma  under  a  Christian  government,  the  King  of  Siam 
is  the  only  independent  Buddhist  sovereign  on  earth,  the 
official  Head  of  Buddhism,  and  sworn  Defender  of  the  Faith. 
He  appoints  all  the  chief  ecclesiastical  dignitaries,  and  all 
monks  throughout  the  kingdom  are  under  control  of  the 
State  through  its  Ministry  of  Public  Worship.  Though  all 
religions  are  tolerated.  Buddhism  has  the  advantage  of  special 
favor  and  patronage  as  the  established  religion  of  the  State. 

As  Dr.  Brown  reports:  “Siam  is  the  centre  and  stronghold 
of  orthodox  Buddhism.  The  shaven-headed  monks  are  in 
evidence  everywhere.  The  temples  are  more  numerous  and 
expensive  than  those  of  any  other  land  I  have  visited.  Many 
of  them  literally  blaze  with  overlaid  gold  and  imbedded 
precious  stones.  Statues  of  Buddha  are  simply  innumerable.” 

Buddhism  seems  to  have  originated  about  the  fifth  century 
B.  C.,  in  an  age  which  also  witnessed  the  teaching  of  Con¬ 
fucius  among  the  Chinese,  and  of  Pythagoras  among  the 
Greeks — a  time  of  mental  quickening  and  enlargement  of 
thought  all  over  the  earth.  Its  founder  is  commonly  known 
by  the  title  “Buddha,”  that  is,  “The  Enlightened  One;”  and 
by  his  family  name,  Gotama.  He  has  left  an  impression  by 
his  character  and  teachings  rarely  equalled  among  men. 

Nothing,  however,  was  committed  to  writing  by  Gotama 
or  his  early  disciples.  Christians  revere  as  their  sacred  book 
the  Bible;  Mohammedans  the  Koran;  Buddhists  the  “Tripi- 
takas”  (Three  Baskets).  But  the  very  oldest  Buddhist  scrip¬ 
tures  date  only  from  the  time  of  King  Asoka,  about  250  B.  C., 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


19 


while  large  portions  of  the  Tripitakas  were  doubtless  added 
later,  both  before  and  since  our  Christian  era.  Thus  the 
earliest  records  of  Buddhism  bring  us  no  nearer  to  its  founder 
than  the  early  Christian  fathers  to  the  time  of  Christ,  and 
W'ith  no  means  of  testing  their  accuracy,  as  Protestants  test 
the  fathers  by  comparison  with  the  New  Testament.  Hence 
our  knowledge  of  the  biography  or  teachings  of  Gotama  is 
both  meagre  and  uncertain  m  comparison  with  our  knowl¬ 
edge  of  Mohammed  or  of  Christ. 

Furthermore,  the  Tripitakas,  though  held  authoritative, 
and  published  by  the  late  King  of  Siam  in  thirty-nine  hand¬ 
some  volumes,  are  scarcely  read  by  any  one,  not  even  by 
the  monks.  The  typical  Buddhist  derives  his  creed  from 
oral  teaching,  or  at  most  from  reading  a  few  modern  Bud¬ 
dhist  tracts.  This  makes  it  hard  to  define  just  what  Bud¬ 
dhism  really  is,  for  even  in  the  most  orthodox  Buddhist  coun¬ 
tries,  like  Siam,  one  finds  no  little  unconscious  divergence 
between  the  sacred  books  and  the  current  popular  belief  and 
practice. 

For  instance,  modern  Siamese  worship  the  images  of 
Buddha;  they  seek  to  make  merit  for  the  benefit  of  others, 
living  or  dead;  they  believe  in  their  own  personal  identity, 
and  expect  rewards  or  punishment  in  a  future  life.  Many 
even  believe  in  a  Creator,  and  other  doctrines  absorbed  from 
Christian  books  and  teaching.  They  are  imbibing  in  large 
measure  the  spirit  of  a  modern  age  of  progress,  aspiration, 
and  striving  after  better  conditions,  personal  and  social. 
Yet  in  all  these  points  their  thinking  and  actions  are  incon¬ 
sistent  with  the  authoritative  doctrines  and  ideals  of  primitive 
Buddhism.  Some  day  they  may  suddenly  come  to  realize 
with  a  shock  of  surprise  how  far  they  are  but  nominal  adhe¬ 
rents  of  a  crumbling  and  obsolete  faith. 

Buddhism,  as  defined  in  its  own  scriptures,  teaches  of  no 
God  above  and  no  soul  within  us.  Its  followers  have  in  their 
language  no  exact  equivalent  for  that  which  we  call  God, 
and  the  very  idea  of  such  a  Being  does  not  exist  in  Buddhism. 
The  Buddha  himself  was  not  a  god,  but  a  man;  and  each  man 
must  work  out  his  own  destiny  for  himself,  with  no  aid  from 
any  higher  power. 


20 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


Buddhism  has,  therefore,  logically,  no  room  for  prayer  or 
religious  worship  in  any  form.  The  nearest  approach  to  this  is 
in  the  form  of  inward  meditation  or  of  paying  outward  honors 
to  the  memory  of  Gotama  by  carrying  flowers  to  his  monu¬ 
ment.  When  Buddhists  wish  to  find  any  outlet  for  the  religious 
instinct,  they  must  go  outside  of  Buddhism  to  seek  it.  They 
crave  some  object  of  worship,  and  since  Gotama  has  given 
them  none,  they  addict  themselves  to  some  form  of  devil- 
worship  or  witchcraft  by  way  of  addition  to  his  system.  They 
do  also  say  prayers,  which  are  in  some  cases  the  real  cry  of 
the  soul  toward  some  one  or  some  thing  for  help.  Usually, 
however,  the  “prayer”  which  they  repeat  is  not  so  much  in 
the  form  of  an  appeal  to  any  living  hearer,  as  in  that  of  a 
charm  or  incantation;  the  mere  repetition  of  the  words  being 
supposed  to  have  magical  power  in  itself.  In  such  ways  as 
this  Buddhism  has  come  to  receive  an  enormous  mass  of  addi¬ 
tions,  many  of  which  are  directly  opposed  to  its  original 
teachings. 

Gotama  taught  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  soul  or  spirit 
in  man  himself;  that  a  man  is  only  a  body,  with  certain  facul¬ 
ties  added  to  it,  all  of  which  scatter  into  nothingness  when 
the  body  dissolves.  One  feature  of  Buddhism,  therefore,  is 
its  denial  of  all  spirituality,  divine  or  human. 

A  second  feature  is  its  assertion,  as  the  positive  facts  upon 
which  it  builds,  of  two  most  remarkable  ideas.  One  of  these 
is  the  doctrine  of  transnii (^ration.  This  belief  is  held  bv  a 
great  part  of  the  human  race  as  the  only  explanation  for  the 
perplexing  inequalities  of  earthly  experience.  It  teaches  that 
the  cause  of  every  joy  or  sorrow  is  to  be  found  in  the  conduct 
of  the  man  himself,  if  not  in  this  life,  then  in  some  of  his 
previous  lives.  As  the  usual  emblem  of  Christianity  is  the 
cross,  so  that  of  Buddhism  is  the  wheel — chosen  as  such  from 
its  suggestion  of  endless  rotation. 

Buddhism,  however,  which  denies  the  existence  of  the  soul, 
is  obliged  to  teach  transmigration  in  a  very  strange  form. 
According  to  this,  although  you  go  to  nothingness  when  you 
die,  yet  a  new  person  is  sure, to  be  produced  at  that  moment, 
who  is  considered  to  be  practically  the  same  as  yourself. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


21 


because  he  begins  existence  with  all  your  merits  and  demerits 
exactly,  and  it  is  to  your  thirst  for  life  that  he  owes  his  being. 
Yet  as  it  is  acknowledged  that  you  are  not  conscious  of 
producing  him,  and  he  is  not  conscious  of  any  relation  with 
you,  it  is  hard  to  see  how  men  can  accept  in  such  a  form 
this  doctrine  of  “Karma.”  Practically  its  believers  are  apt 
to  forget  their  denial  of  the  soul,  and  speak  as  if  it  did  exist 
and  goes  at  death  into  a  new  body.  This  new  birth  may  not 
be  into  the  form  of  a  man,  but  into  that  of  a  beast  of  the 
earth,  a  devil  in  some  hell,  or  an  angel  in  some  heaven. 
Buddhism  not  only  teaches  the  existence  of  hells  and  heavens, 
but  fixes  their  exact  size  and  position,  so  that  any  acquaint¬ 
ance  with  astronomy  is  enough  to  prove  the  falsity  of  its 
declarations  on  that  point.  It  is  further  taught  that  each  of 
these  future  lives  must  come  to  an  end,  for  all  things  above 
and  below  are  continually  changing  places  with  each  other, 
as  they  ever  have  done  and  ever  will  do.  There  is,  therefore, 
no  real  satisfaction  even  in  the  prospect  of  a  heavenly  life, 
since  it  must  in  time  change,  and  probably  for  the  worse. 

In  close  connection,  then,  with  this  fundamental  idea  of 
Buddhism,  namely,  transmigration,  is  the  other  idea,  that  all 
life,  present  or  future,  is  essentially  so  transitory,  disappoint¬ 
ing  and  miserable,  that  the  greatest  of  blessings  would  be 
the  power  to  cease  from  the  weary  round  entirely  and  for¬ 
ever.  Practically  its  votaries  have  before  their  minds  a  life 
in  some  delightful  heaven,  secured  against  any  following  evil 
by  passing  instead  into  calm,  unending  slumber.  This  condi¬ 
tion  is  marked  by  the  perception  of  life’s  illusiveness,  with 
freedom  from  all  resulting  lusts  and  passions;  and  this  ensures 
that  when  the  life  you  are  then  living  shall  close,  no  new 
being  will  be  formed  in  your  place,  because  your  thirst  for 
living  is  at  last  extinguished.  While  it  is  true,  then,  that  this 
condition  of  heavenly  calm  or  Nirvana  (called  in  Siamese 
“Nippan”)  is  represented  as  eminently  attractive,  yet  its  dis¬ 
tinguishing  benefit  lies  in  the  fact  that  when  it  ends,  that 
which  follows  is  not  a  new  birth,  but  an  eternal  freedom  from 
all  life.  This  is  in  its  essence  a  doctrine  of  despair,  even 
though  the  annihilation  of  life  is  called  by  the  softer  name 


22 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


of  endless  slumber,  and  attention  is  mainly  fixed  on  the  joys 
of  Nirvana  which  precede  that  slumber. 

The  third  chief  feature  of  Buddhism  is  its  description  of 
the  “Noble  Path” — the  way  by  which  a  man  is  to  reach  the 
desired  goal.  Having  (i)  denied  the  existence  of  God  and 
the  soul,  and  (2)  asserted  the  existence  of  transmigration  and 
of  an  essential  misery  in  all  life,  from  which  Nirvana  is  the 
only  deliverance,  it  proceeds  (3)  to  tell  how  Nirvana  may  be 
reached.  It  is  by  means  of  persevering  meditation  upon  the 
hollowness  of  life,  together  with  the  practice  of  control  over 
self  and  beneficence  to  others.  Many  of  the  rules  given  for 
this  end  have  in  them  a  moral  truth  and  beauty  which  is 
remarkable.  The  opposition  to  caste  and  to  extending  reli¬ 
gion  by  force  of  arms,  the  freedom  given  to  women  and  the 
mildness  of  manners  cherished  among  all,  are  most  com¬ 
mendable.  But  as  there  is  no  love  to  any  God  in  all  this, 
neither  is  there  any  beneficence  toward  men  which  is  other 
than  negative  and  selfish.  The  self-annihilation  which  is 
emphasized  is  sought  simply  as  a  means  of  finally  escaping 
from  misery  by  escaping  from  existence,  after  tasting  what¬ 
ever  sensual  enjoyment  may  come  within  reach  on  the  way. 

The  chief  aim  of  every  zealous  Buddhist  is  to  “make  merit.” 
For  a  man,  the  most  efficient  means  is  to  join  the  order  of 
monks,  commonly  but  less  correctly  called  priests.  In 
modern  times  very  few  remain  for  life  in  the  “wat”  (monas¬ 
tery)  :  but  every  man  from  the  King  down  is  expected  to  take 
his  turn  once  at  least. 

A  woman’s  best  hope  for  future  happiness  is  to  have  many 
sons,  who  can  thus  “make  merit”  for  their  mother,  as  well 
as  themselves.  The  very  few  nuns  are  aged  widows,  to 
whom  the  temple  serves  as  a  form  of  almshouse. 

Boys  under  twenty  cannot  be  full-fledged  monks,  but  enter 
the  temples  in  great  numbers  as  novitiates.  Without  count¬ 
ing  these  novitiates,  the  latest  official  report  shows  about 
100,000  monks  in  the  Kingdom  of  Siam,  nearly  all  of  them 
able-bodied  young  men,  whom  the  women,  who  are  the  chief 
merit-makers,  are  feeding  and  supporting  in  idleness. 

The  priests  are  clad  in  yellow  robes,  each  suit  consisting 
of  seven  pieces.  The  wearing  of  these  patched  garments  is 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


23 


in  imitation  of  Gotama,  who  is  said  to  have  adopted  the 
yellow  garb  worn  in  his  time  by  robbers,  so  that  the  world 
would  cease  to  praise  him.  At  daybreak  the  thoroughfares, 
canals  and  rivers  of  Siam  are  thronged  with  monks  collecting 
their  day’s  food  from  the  people,  each  carrying  a  rice-pot 
suspended  from  the  shoulder,  and  a  bag  hanging  on  the  arm,^ 
to  receive  rice,  fish  or  fruits.  They  never  ask  for  alnTs  nor 
return  thanks,  but  take  their  stand  at  a'hdus'e  and  wait  in 
silence  until  the  inmates  bring  the  food,  worship  them,  and 
then  place  the  gift  in  the  pot  or  bag.  The  people  consider 
that  the  priests  have  conferred  a  great  favor  on  them  by 
receiving  the  food. 

The  stricter  “Tammayoot”  order  of  monks  was  established 
by  King  Maha  Mongkut,  with  the  aim  of  restoring  the 
ancient  discipline;  but  the  easy-going  majority  prefer  the 
laxer  discipline  of  the  “Mahanikai”  order.  The  practical 
conduct  both  of  monks  and  laity  is  far  below  even  their  own 
Buddhist  standard.  They  live  as  the  heathen  did  whom 
Paul  describes  in  his  letters  to  the  Romans  and  Corinthians. 

The  great  distinction,  after  all,  between  other  religions  and 
Christianity,  is  not  merely  that  th^y  present  lower  standards, 
but  that  they  do  not  offer  at  all  that  grace  and  strength 
whereby  men  are  enabled  to  rise  toward  the  standard.  Bud¬ 
dhism  makes  no  such  offer,  and  has  no  such  conception,  it 
fi-xes  the  mind  upon  the  evils  and  miseries  of  life,  which  it 
is  exhorted  by  its  own  power  to  shun,  and  not  upon  the  posi¬ 
tive  holiness  and  blessedness  of  a  Divine  Saviour,  whose 
grace  can  lift  the  soul  toward  the  glory  which  it  sees  in  Him. 

“We  should  not  hastily  assume  that  Buddhism  in  Siam  isi  a  waning 
force,  or  that  the  friendliness  of  officials  is  indicative  of  a  disposition 
to  accept  the  Gospel.  The  mental  attitude  which  looks  upon  Christian¬ 
ity  w'ith  good-natured  indifference  is  as  hard  to  overcome  as  that  which 
regards  all  religions  as  equally  true  or  equally  false. 

“A  languid  indifference  is  the  special  obstacle  to  mission  work. 
This  is  partly  due  to  a  tropical  climate,  but  natural  physical  and  mental 
sloth  is  greatly  intensified  by  the  teaching  of  Buddhism.  Buddha  held 
that  man  should  be  neutral  in  all  things,  avoid  extremes,  and  neither 
love  nor  hate.  Activity  is  evil ;  passiveness  is  virtue. 

“Such  spongy  material  is  harder  to  break  than  a  rock — like  the 
southern  forts  of  palmetto  logs ;  the  bullets  buried  themselves  without 
shattering  the  logs,  so  that  the  more  lead  was  fired  into  them,  the  more 
impregnable  they  became.”  (Condensed  from  Dr.  Brown’s  Report.) 


24 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


CHRISTIANITY  IN  SIAM. 

ROMAN  CATHOLIC  MISSIONS. 

Long  before  the  beginning  of  Protestant  effort,  French 
Catholics  had,  as  early  as  1662,  established  the  first  Christian 
mission  in  Siam,  during  the  reign  of  the  liberal-minded  and 
famous  Siamese  King  Narai.  The  grand  embassy  of  1673 
from  Louis  XIY  of  France  was  accompanied  by  a  consider¬ 
able  number  of  Jesuit  priests.  In  1780  a  royal  decree  ban¬ 
ished  all  Catholic  foreign  missionaries  from  the  kingdom, 
and  they  did  not  return  in  any  considerable  numbers  or  for 
permanent  residence  until  1830,  when  Bishop  Pallegoix  was 
appointed  to  resume  the  interrupted  work. 

Their  work  is  now  under  the  direction  of  two  bishops,  one 
in  Bangkok  and  another  for  the  Lao.  Different  methods, 
both  of  securing  and  of  reckoning  adherents,  hinder  any 
fair  comparison  between  statistics  of  Protestant  and  Catholic 
work.  But  it  is  probably  not  wide  of  the  mark  to  state  that 
they  have  more  European  workers  than  all  Protestant  mis¬ 
sions  combined;  more  stations  and  places  of  worship,  includ¬ 
ing  four  substantial  brick  churches  in  Bangkok  and  a  stately 
cathedral;  more  schools,  with  four  thousand  pupils;  and  a 
membership  threefold  greater  than  the  Protestants. 

They  are  more  disposed  than  Protestants  to  concentrate 
special  effort  in  the  centres  of  political  power.  For  example, 
they  have  a  large  hospital,  supported  largely  by  non-Catholic 
donors,  in  Bangkok,  where  we  have  none,  but  attempt  no 
medical  work  in  the  interior,  where  there  is  greatest  lack  of 
such  service. 

They  provide  for  their  adherents  some  devotional  books 
in  Romanized  Siamese,  but  do  not  teach  the  Siamese  alpha¬ 
bet,  so  that  few  Catholics  can  read  ordinary  Siamese  books, 
nor  can  ordinary  Siamese  read  Catholic  books.  They  are 
not  seen,  like  Protestant  workers,  showing  Bible  pictures, 
and  publishing  the  Gospel  story  to  such  groups  of  heathen 
as  can  be  gathered  in  market  chapels,  temples,  wayside  rest 
houses,  and  open-air  meetings,  nor  distributing  Scriptures 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


25 


or  Christian  tracts  in  heathen  communities.  Their  favorite 
policy  is  to  segregate  their  adherents  in  separate  communi¬ 
ties,  under  their  special  protection  and  control,  and  thus 
indoctrinate  parents  and  children  in  their  faith  and  forms  of 
worship. 

Their  policy  appeals  strongly  to  a  certain  class,  who  are 
anxiously  seeking  protection  in  law-suits  or  other  forms  of 
aid  in  temporal  affairs,  but  alienates  others.  Most  of  the 
converts  they  gain  are  not  Siamese,  but  Chinese  or  Eurasians. 
Just  as  the  Lao  make  more  offerings  to  propitiate  the 
demons  they  fear  than  the  Buddha  they  revere,  so  it  is,  no 
doubt,  less  from  confidence  and  good-will  than  State  policy, 
that  the  French  Catholics  succeed  in  obtaining  more  favor¬ 
able  concessions  in  the  matter  of  holding  property,  and  larger 
donations  and  grants  from  the  Siamese  officials,  than  do  the 
Protestants.  But  the  prevalent  conviction  that,  unlike  the 
American  missionaries,  they  are  in  very  close  alliance  with 
a  foreign  government,  makes  them  generally  distrusted,  dis¬ 
liked  and  secretly  feared. 

Yet.  with  all  their  faults  and  limitations.  Catholic  missions 
have  doubtless  been  the  providential  means  of  leading  many 
to  a  knowledge  of  the  essentials  of  Christian  truth,  and  to  a 
saving  faith  in.  the  true  God. 

BEGINNIiNGS  OF  PROTESTANT  MISSIONS. 

The  very  first  Protestant  missionary  effort 
PATHFINDERS,  for  the  Siamese  on  record  was  made  by  a 

woman  who  never  saw  Siam.  Mrs.  Ann 
Haseltine  Judson,  the  young  wife  of  Dr.  Adoniram  Judson, 
became  so  deeply  interested  in  the  numerous  Siamese  colony 
she  found  at  Rangoon  that  in  April,  1818,  she  wrote  to  a 
friend:  “I  have  attended  to  the  Siamese  language  for  about 
a  year  and  a  half,  and  with  the  assistance  of  my  teacher,  have 
translated  the  Burman  catechism,  a  tract  containing  an 
abstract  of  Christianity,  and  the  Gospel  of  Matthew,  into 
that  language.”  Some  of  this  manuscript  was  probably  never 
printed;  but  her  Siamese  version  of  her  husband’s  Burman 


26 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


catechism  was  published  in  1819  by  the  Baptist  Press  at 
Serampore,  India. 

Not  till  Aug-ust,  1828,  did  the  first  Protestant  missionaries 
land  in  Siam.  These  were  an  Englishman,  Rev.  Jacob 
Tomlin,  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and  a  German, 
Dr.  Carl  Gutzlaff,  who  had  severed  his  previous  brief  con¬ 
nection  with  the  Netherlands  Missionary  Society,  and  came 
to  Bangkok  independently  at  his  own  charges.  Both  these 
men  traveled  widelv  in  the  Far  East,  laboring  in  many  dif¬ 
ferent  fields,  but  everywhere  with  special  reference  to  the 
Chinese  dispersion,  as  China  itself  was  not  yet  open  to  the 
Gospel.  Each  made  two  visits  to  Bangkok,  not  only  giving 
free  medical  treatment  to  crowds  of  patients,  and  freely  dis¬ 
tributing  many  Chinese  tracts  and  Scriptures,  but  diligently 
studying  Siamese,  and  making  a  beginning,  as  best  they 
could,  in  translation  of  the  New  Testament,  and  preparing  a 
Christian  tract  in  that  tongue. 

After  his  marriage  in  Singapore  to  Miss  Maria  Newell,  of 
the  London  Missionary  Society,  Dr.  Gutzlaff  in  1830  returned 
to  Bangkok  with  his  bride,  the  first  pioneer  of  woman’s  work 
for  Christ  in  Siam.  But  in  June,  1831,  after  burying  both 
wife  and  babe,  and  himself  very  ill.  Dr.  Gutzlaff  left  Siam, 
never  to  return.  After  a  notable  career  in  China,  he  died 
there  in  i\ugust,  1851.  Failing  health  likewise  compelled  the 
return  of  Mr.  Tomlin  to  Singapore  in  January,  1832. 

The  first  American  missionary  was  Rev.  David  Abeel,  of 
the  American  Board,  which  at  that  time  was  still  supported 
by  Presbyterians  jointly  with  Congregationalists  and  others. 
Mr.  Abeel  was  another  zealous  worker  of  rather  roving 
habits.  He  seems  never  to  have  settled  down  long  in  any 
field;  but  he  twice  visited  Bangkok,  first  arriving  from  Can¬ 
ton  in  June,  1831,  and  being  compelled  by  ill  health  to  take 
his  final  departure  in  November,  1832. 

Despite  all  hindrances,  reverses  and  seeming  failure,  the 
observations  and  appeals  of  these  three  missionary  prospec¬ 
tors  soon  bore  fruit  in  the  more  permanent  occupation  of 
the  field  by  three  American  missionary  societies. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


27 


Continuous  and  permanent  Protestant 
BAPTIST  MISSION,  missionary  work  dates  from  the  arrival 
1833-93.  in  Bangkok,  March,  1833,  of  Rev.  John 

Taylor  Jones,  D.  D.,  and  wife,  American 
Baptist  missionaries  from  Maulmain,  Burma.  Dr.  Jones  was 
a  man  of  exceptional  industry,  scholarship  and  literary  gifts, 
and  the  first  missionary  to  devote  himself  chiefly  to  work  for 
the  Siamese  race.  Before  his  death,  in  1851,  he  had  com¬ 
pleted  a  Siamese  version  of  the  New  Testament,  and  pre¬ 
pared  several  excellent  Christian  books  or  tracts  that  are  still 
in  use.  Like  Dr.  Judson,  he  was  thrice  married  to  noble 
Christian  women,  who  rendered  their  full  share  of  effective 
service.  Rev.  William  Dean,  D.  D.,  whose  bride  did  not 
live  to  complete  the  long  sailing  voyage,  arrived  in  July, 
1835,  and  devoted  himself  specially  to  the  Chinese-speaking 
population.  In  1837  he  organized  the  Chinese  converts  into 
the  first  Protestant  church  in  Siam.  At  his  death,  in  1884, 
he  had  nearly  rounded  out  half  a  century  on  the  field. 

A  Christian  tract  published  in  1836  by  the  Baptist  Mission 
Press,  is  believed  to  have  been  the  very  first  printing  ever 
done  in  .Siam. 

From  1868  on  the  Baptists  dropped  their  Siamese  depart¬ 
ment,  and  worked  in  the  Chinese  language  only.  The  roll 
of  Baptist  missionaries  shows  thirty-two  names  in  all.  But 
the  great  success  of  their  work  in  Swatow,  China,  where  the 
same  dialect  was  used  as  in  Siam,  finally  led  to  weakening 
the  Siam  Mission  by  transfer  of  many  of  these  workers  to 
China;  and  since  the  departure  for  the  United  States  of  Rev. 
Lewis  Eaton  in  1893,  they  have  had  no  resident  American 
missionary,  though  in  recent  years  Dr.  Foster  makes  from 
Swatow  occasional  visits  of  supervision  to  their  Chinese 
churches  and  Chinese  workers  in  Bangkok. 

In  July,  1834,  Rev.  Stephen  Johnson 
CONGREGATIONAL  and  Rev.  Charles  Robinson,  with  their 
MISSIONS,  1834-74.  wives,  arrived  in  Bangkok,  to  follow  up 

the  work  of  Mr.  Abeel.  Daniel  Bradley, 
M.  D.,  and  wife,  arrived  in  company  with  Dr.  Dean  the  fol¬ 
lowing  year.  This  Mission,  like  the  Baptists,  combined  work 


28 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


in  both  languages,  Siamese  and  Chinese,  but  using  a  different 
Chinese  dialect  from  the  Baptists.  In  1846  they  transferred 
their  Chinese-speaking  workers  to  China,  and  in  1849  the 
American  Board  withdrew  entirely  from  Siam,  turning  over 
its  remaining  work,  workers  and  property  to  the  American 
Missionary  Association,  which  continued  the  work  till  1874. 
The  list  of  missionaries  of  these  two  societies,  about  thirty 
in  all,  includes  many  honored  names;  but  none  more  notable 
than  the  versatile  and  forceful  Dr.  Bradley.  He  was  the 
first  (in  1840)  to  introduce  vaccination,  previously  unknown 
in  Siam.  His  work  as  physician,  writer,  translator,  printer 
and  preacher,  ended  only  with  his  death  in  June,  1873.  His 
son,  Cornelius,  and  wife,  were  missionaries  in  Bangkok, 
1871-74.  His  widow,  Mrs.  Sarah  Blackley  Bradley,  con¬ 
tinued  active  in  voluntary  Christian  work  till  her  death  in 
1893,  after  forty-three  years’  continuous  residence  in  Bang¬ 
kok,  without  even  once  revisiting  the  United  States.  Two  of 
his  daughters,  Mrs.  Sophia  Bradley  McGilvary  and  Mrs. 
Sarah  Bradley  Cheek,  and  two  granddaughters,  Mrs.  Cor¬ 
nelia  McGilvary  Harris  and  Mrs.  Margaret  McGilvary  Gillies, 
became  the  wives  and  active  partners  in  service  of  Presbyte¬ 
rian  missionaries. 

One  of  the  first  acts  of  our  own  Presby- 
PRESBYTERIAN  terian  Board,  organized  in  1837,  was  to 

MISSIONS.  establish  in  Singapore  a  mission  for 

Chinese,  which,  by  reason  of  the  opening, 
in  1842,  of  the  five  “treaty  ports,”  was  in  1843  transferred 
to  Amoy,  China.  Meanwhile,  in  1838,  Rev.  R.  W.  Orr,  of 
that  mission,  visited  Siam  for  a  month,  and  his  favorable 
report  led  to  the  starting  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission  by  the 
arrival  of  Rev.  William  Buell  and  wife  in  Siam,  August,  1840. 
Barring  the  India  Mission,  started  in  1833,  and  in  1837  taken 
over  from  the  “Western  Foreign  Missionary  Society,”  Siam 
is  thus  the  oldest  existing  mission  of  our  Presbyterian  Board. 

After  some  years  of  faithful  foundation  work,  Mrs.  Buell 
was  stricken  with  paralysis,  making  it  necessary  for  the  hus¬ 
band  to  bring  her  home  to  the  United  States.  Three  full 
years  elapsed  before  the  Board  was  able  to  fill  this  vacancy 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


29 


and  resume  the  work.  But  since  the  arrival  in  March,  1847, 
of  Rev.  Stephen  Mattoon  and  wife,  and  Samuel  House,  M.  D., 
Siam  has  never  been  without  Presbyterian  missionarieil 

This  early  period  was  one  of  privations,  hardships  and 
hindrances,  such  as  in  our  day  it  is  hard  to  realize  or  imagine. 
A  private  letter  from  Dr.  House,  never  before  published, 
says:  “When  I  first  went  out  to  Siam,  it  was  a  semi-barbarous 
land,  with  very  little  trade  or  intercourse  with  other  nations. 
The  people  went  half  nude,  hatless  and  shoeless.  There  was 
plenty  of  rice  (then  only  half  a  cent  a  pound),  brown  sugar 
and  tea;  but  not  a  needle,  or  a  pin,  a  button,  or  hook  and 
eye,  a  tooth  brush,  or  a  box  of  matches,  or  a  lamp.  Nor 
could  you  buy  wheat  flour,  cornmeal,  butter  or  beef,  writing 
paper,  looking  glass,  table  or  chair.  We  had  to  send  home 
for  these,  and  anticipate  a  year’s  needs,  and  were  often  in 
great  straits  from  delay,  or  if  from  long  voyage  the  flour 
grew  musty,  or  full  of  weevils.” 

The  secret  opposition  of  the  King,  a  fanatical  Buddhist, 
had  such  influence  that  none  dared  sell  or  rent  any  property 
to  the  missionaries.  The  frequency  among  these  pioneers 
of  severe  illness  or  death,  often  no  doubt  the  direct  result 
of  overwork  and  exposure,  and  lack  of  suitable  homes  or 
ordinary  home  comforts,  was  appalling. 

A  few  Chinese  converts  were  gathered,  but  not  one  Siamese 
dared  avow  himself  a  Christian.  Not  until  the  next  reign 
did  the  missionaries  have  the  joy,  in  1859,  of  baptizing  Nai 
Chime  (Mr.  Joy),  their  first  Siamese  convert. 

Even  when  war  with  England  seemed  imminent,  involving 
extreme  peril  to  all  English-speaking  residents  in  Siam,  they 
stedfastly  refused  to  abandon  their  post;  but  the  outlook 
seemed  well-nigh  hopeless,  till  in  this  darkest  hour,  as  in 
the  days  of  Herod  and  Peter,  Providence  signally  interposed. 
The  King’s  unexpected  illness,  which  terminated  fatally  in 
April,  1851,  changed  the  whole  situation. 

The  new  King,  Maha  Mongkut,  had  for  eighteen  months 
studied  science  and  the  English  language  with  a  missionary. 
Rev.  Jesse  Caswell,  as  private  tutor,  and  learned  to  esteem 
all  missionaries  highly.  Though  he  lived  and  died  a  staunch 


30 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


Buddhist,  his  tolerance  and  good-wili  first  made  possible  in 
his  kingdom  the  securing  of  suitable  missionary  homes,  and 
unhampered  Christian  teaching. 

By  special  request  of  the  Siamese  authorities,  when  they 
ratified  a  treaty  with  the  United  States,  the  first  Consul  ap¬ 
pointed  was  the  trusted  missionary.  Rev.  Stephen  Mattoon. 

The  long  reign  of  King  Chulalongkorn,  who  came  to  the 
throne  in  1868,  was  an  eventful  period  in  the  religious  as 
well  as  the  political  history  of  Siam.  One  of  the  notable 
events  of  this  reign  was  the  Edict  of  Toleration,  which  in 
1878  finally  put  an  end  to  religious  persecution,  and  guar¬ 
anteed  full  liberty  of  conscience  throughout  the  Kingdom 
of  Siam. 

In  1867-68,  Dr.  McGilvary  and  Rev.  Jonathan  Wilson 
had  begun  at  Chieng  Mai  the  first  missionary  work  for  the 
Lao  race.  They  were  soon  encouraged  by  the  conversion 
of  Nan  Inta,  a  man  who  had  thoroughly  studied  Buddhism 
and  was  dissatisfied  with  it,  while  knowing  of  nothing  to  re¬ 
place  it.  He  was  much  impressed  by  having  the  solar  eclipse 
of  August,  1S68,  foretold  by  the  missionary  a  week  in  ad¬ 
vance.  He  thus  found  the  science  of  the  Christians  disprov¬ 
ing  the  fables  of  Buddhism,  and  began  eagerly  to  study  the 
spiritual  truths  of  the  Gospel.  He  w^as  soon  able  to  make 
an  intelligent  confession  of  faith  in  Christ,  which  he  main¬ 
tained  until  his  death.  Within  a  few  months  seven  other 
converts  were  baptized. 

At  this  point  the  Governor  of  Chieng  Mai  began  to  mani¬ 
fest  the  hostility  he  had  thus  far  concealed.  In  September, 
1869,  Noi  Su  Ya  and  Nan  Chai  w^ere  arrested  and  confessed 
that  they  had  forsaken  Buddhism.  The  “death  yoke”  was 
put  around  their  necks,  and  a  small  rope  passed  through  the 
holes  used  for  earrings  by  all  Lao  people,  and  carried  tightly 
over  the  beam  of  the  house.  After  being  thus  tortured  all 
night,  they  again  steadfastly  refused  to  deny  their  Lord  and 
Saviour,  even  in  the  face  of  death.  They  prepared  for  exe¬ 
cution  by  praying  to  Him,  closing  with  the  words,  “Lord 
Jesus,  receive  my  spirit.”  Being  then  taken  to  the  jungle, 
they  W'ere  clubbed  to  death,  and  one,  not  dying  quickly 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


31 


enough,  was  thrust  through  the  heart  by  a  spear.  The  whole 
record  is  like  one  from  the  apostolic  age,  and  speaks  vividly 
of  the  first  martyrs,  and  of  the  same  Lord  by  whose  living 
presence  they  were  sustained. 

For  some  months  after  this  martyrdom  the  missionaries 
found  their  work  at  a  standstill,  and  it  seemed  as  if  they 
would  surely  be  driven  out.  But  Providence  interposed  in 
a  way  that  strikingly  reminds  one  of  the  earlier  crisis  of  1851 
in  Bangkok.  The  persecuting  Prince  being  just  then  sum¬ 
moned  to  Bangkok,  was  there  suddenly  stricken  with  mortal 
illness.  On  the  last  stage  of  his  homeward  journey,  he  died 
at  Lampoon  June  29,  1870. 

The  good-will  of  his  son-in-law,  who  thus  became  Gover¬ 
nor,  not  only  ended  the  persecution,  but  gave  the  mission¬ 
aries  facilities  to  begin  building  permanent  homes. 

Another  crisis  was  encountered  in  1878.  The  missionaries 
had  decided  to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony  between  two 
native  Christians  without  making  provision  for  the  customary 
feast  to  the  demons.  The  relatives,  all  demon  worshippers, 
prevented  the  marriage  on  this  account,  and  the  local  authori¬ 
ties  supported  them  in  the  refusal ;  but  an  appeal  to  the  King 
of  Siam  secured  in  reply  a  proclamation  declaring;  “There 
is  nothing  in  the  laws  and  customs  of  Siam  to  throw  any 
restriction  on  the  religious  worship  and  service  of  any  one. 
To  be  more  specific,  if  any  person  or  persons  wish  to  em¬ 
brace  the  Christian  religion,  they  are  freely  permitted  to 
follow  their  own  choice.  This  proclamation  is  to  certify  that 
from  this  time  forth  all  persons  are  permitted  to  follow  the 
dictates  of  their  own  conscience  in  all  matters  of  religious 
belief  and  practice.”  This  proclamation  of  religious  liberty 
entirely  changed  the  attitude  of  the  Lao  officials. 

Within  twenty  years  from  the  first  occupation  of  Chieng 
Mai,  North  Lao  Presbytery  was  able  to  report  432  communi¬ 
cant  members,  and  Siam  Presbytery  393.  Ever  since  that 
date  the  Lao  membership  has  exceeded  that  of  the  older 
mission. 

From  1866-1890  inclusive,  the  force  of  American  mission¬ 
aries  increased  from  eleven  work^s  at  two  stations,  to 


32 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


forty-six  workers  at  five  stations,  nine  of  them  single  women. 
There  were  no  single  women  in  the  Siam  missions  earlier 
than  iS/f. 

Meanwhile,  the  total  number  of  pupils  had  increased  from 
thirty-six  to  780  in  twenty-five  mission  schools,  and  the 
native  com.municant  membership  of  Presbyterian  churches 
from  eleven  to  1,280,  of  which  880  were  among  the  Lao. 

During  the  following  decade  the  work  so  continued  to 
grow  that  the  nineteenth  century  closed  with  over  seventy 
Presbyterian  missionaries  at  ten  stations,  about  850  pupils 
{512  in  the  South  and  335  in  the  North),  and  over  2,800 
members  (389  in  the  South  and  2,440  in  the  Presbytery  of 
North  Laos). 

During  the  early  years  of  this  period,  the  missionaries 
were  so  few,  and  so  isolated  from  each  other  by  lack  of  any 
facilities  for  communication  between  the  different  stations, 
that  each  had  to  work  almost  independently,  with  scant 
opportunity  for  effective  organization  and  co-operation.  But 
the  closing  years  of  the  century  found  each  of  the  two  sta¬ 
tions  welded  into  an  effective  organization,  with  all  needed 
officers  and  committees  for  team  work,  and  a  set  of  mission 
rules,  gradually  elaborated  on  the  basis  of  practical  expe¬ 
rience,  to  define  the  mission  methods  and  policy. 

MISSION  PRESSES. 

For  some  twenty  years  all  the  printing  of  Christian  litera¬ 
ture  was  done  by  the  Congregational  and  Baptist  Mission 
presses.  But  since  i860  our  Presbyterian  Church  has  main¬ 
tained  in  Bangkok  its  own  Mission  Press. 

At  first  the  press  occupied  a  dark  basement  under  a  mis¬ 
sionary  dwelling  at  Sumray,  a  suburb  of  Bangkok.  In  1892 
it  was  removed  to  larger  and  better  quarters  across  the  river, 
and  in  1897  again  moved  to  its  present  permanent  location, 
where  buildings  were  erected  suitable  for  both  press  and 
godown.  New  equipment  has  been  added  year  by  year,  till 
there  is  now  no  more  complete  publishing  establishment  in 
Siam. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


33 


The  rapidh^  increasing  number  of  readers,  as  schools  are 
multiplied  all  over  Siam,  magnifies  as  never  before  both 
demand  and  opportunity  for  the  Mission  Press. 

Since  1909,  the  growing  work  of  our  Press  in  Bangkok, 
together  with  the  duties  of  Godown  Manager  and  Shipping 
Agent  for  both  Missions,  have  been  transferred  to  an  ener¬ 
getic  and  efficient  layman,  Mr.  Edward  Spilman,  leaving  the 
ordained  men  free  to  devote  full  time  to  other  work. 

This  Press  publishes  The  Daybreak,  an  attractive  monthly, 
which  gives  a  variety  of  good  reading  in  the  Siamese  lan¬ 
guage,  including  stories,  scientific  and  religious  articles,  and 
inews  of  current  events.  Just  now  a  Siamese  translation  of 
Ben-Hur  is  appearing  in  serial  form.  The  Press  also  carries 
a  varied  stock  of  school  text-books,  and  Christian  books 
or  tracts.  Among  its  recent  publications  may  be  named 
translations  of  the  story,  “Titus,  the  Comrade  of  the  Cross;” 
and  of  Munhall’s  “Manual  for  Christian  Workers;”  a  series 
of  small  volumes  of  Old  Testament  Bible  stories,  a  Siamese 
concordance,  primarily  for  use  in  the  Christian  Training 
Schools,  a  book  on  Ethics  by  Miss  Galt,  and  an  enlarged 
Siamese  Elymnal,  with  tunes,  and  over  four  hundred  and 
fifty  hymns. 

During  the  hot  dry  season  of  1914,  a  great  fire  in  Bangkok 
burned  over  an  area  of  some  thirty  acres,  including  all  the 
buildings  on  three  sides  of  our  Press  Compound,  seriously 
threatening  our  Press  and  other  valuable  property  there, 
when  the  wind  was  providentially  so  shifted  as  to  blow  the 
fire  away.  This  marvelous  escape  was  a  signal  manifesta¬ 
tion  of  Divine  protection,  which  became  a  lesson  to  the  entire 
citv,  as  an  evidence  of  the  protecting  care  of  the  Christian’s 
God. 

There  is  also  a  smaller  press  at  the  Christian  College, 
managed  by  the  students  as  a  feature  of  their  industrial  work. 
This  publishes  College  Nezvs  in  Siamese,  and  in  English  The 
White  Elephant,  which  will  appear  bi-monthly  as  the  official 
organ  of  both  Siam  missions  for  giving  news  of  their  work. 

Eor  twenty-five  years  after  the  founding  of  the  North  Lao 
Mission,  they  had  only  books  in  the  Siamese  character,  which 


34 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


few  of  the  Lao  people  could  read;  but  Dr.  Peoples  brought 
in  December,  1890,  a  font  of  Lao  type  cast  in  America.  A 
building  was  put  up  at  Chieng  Mai,  and  the  only  press  in  the 
world  equipped  to  print  the  Lao  character  was  finally  estab¬ 
lished  in  1892  by  Rev.  David  Collins,  who  has  continued  in 
charge  of  this  work  ever  since. 

This  Press  doubled  the  space  and  quadrupled  its  working 
capacity  by  the  completion  of  a  new  building  in  June,  1913. 
Here  is  published  the  only  vernacular  Lao  newspaper  in  the 
world,  with  a  monthly  circulation  of  over  one  thousand 
copies,  reaching  every  station  and  out-station  of  North  Siam. 

The  late  Dr.  Jonathan  Wilson  translated  or  composed  in 
the  Lao  dialect  about  five  hundred  hymns.  The  recent  new 
edition  of  the  Lao  Hymnal,  enlarged  to  include  nearly  four 
hundred  hymns,  has  been  the  most  difficult  work  undertaken, 
as  tlie  new  music  type  could  not  have  been  handled  without 
the  constant  supervision  of  Mrs.  Collins  for  months. 

A  Karen  tract  in  Lao  character  was  published  in  1914. 
This  press  also  constantly  prints  English  and  Siamese,  and 
occasionally  French. 

The  financial  loss  on  Christian  literature,  much  of  which 
is  sold  below  cost,  is  made  good  by  profits  on  job  work  for 
government  departments,  business  firms,  and  other  patrons. 
Thus  both  presses  are  self-supporting,  the  earnings  covering 
all  outlay  both  for  running  expenses  and  increased  equip¬ 
ment,  and  the  Bangkok  Press  even  paying  part  of  the  sup¬ 
port  of  the  American  manager. 

The  most  important  work  of  both  presses  is 
BIBLE  WORK,  of  course  the  publication  of  the  Scriptures. 

Besides  the  New  Testament  entire,  eight  of 
the  more  important  Old  Testament  books  have  already  been 
translated  and  published  in  Lao,  while  others  are  in  prepara¬ 
tion.  The  Siamese  Bible  has  long  been  published  complete, 
but  in  three  or  four  rather  bulky  volumes.  All  new  editions 
are  now  being  printed  partly  on  India  paper,  which,  with 
other  improvements,  such  as  photographic  reproduclion, 
with  reduced  size  of  page  (done  in  Japan),  will  eventually 
make  it  feasible  to  bind  the  complete  Siamese  Bible  in  a 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


35 


single  handy  volume.  New  editions,  whether  in  Siamese  or 
Lao,  are  also  being  carefully  revised  under  the  supervision 
of  committees  chosen  by  each  mission. 

Dr.  John  Carrington,  formerly  a  member  of  the  South 
Siam  Mission,  labored  indefatigably  as  agent  of  the  American 
Bible  Society  from  1889  until  his  death  in  1912.  His  suc¬ 
cessor  is  Rev.  Robert  Irwin,  formerly  a  member  of  the 
North  Siam  Mission,  but  since  1911  in  the  service  of  the  Bible 
Society,  which  is  spending  about  $12,000  a  year  in  Siam. 
Besides  employing  and  directing  about  thirty  Chinese  or 
Siamese  colporteurs,  Mr.  Irwin  has  opened  a  Bible  depot 
on  the  main  business  street  of  Bangkok,  where  the  Scriptures 
are  offered  for  sale  in  seventeen  languages  or  dialects. 

The  I.ao  Christians  have  in  recent  years  begun  to  buy 
large  quantities  of  Scripture  portions  for  free  distribution 
among  their  heathen  neighbors.  Though  few  copies  are 
given  entirely  free,  the  circulation  of  Scriptures  in  Siam  has 
within  twenty-five  years  increased  from  9,000  to  173,000 — 
nearly  twentyfold,  and  threefold  within  four  years  past. 

MEDICAL  WORK. 

Medical  work  has  always  been  a  prominent  factor  in  Siam. 
With  the  single  exception  of  Bangkok,  which  has  many  gov¬ 
ernment  hospitals  and  European  physicians  in  private  practice, 
each  station  of  both  missions  has  its  hospital  and  dispensary, 
with  native  assistants  under  the  direction  of  an  American  mis¬ 
sionary,  and  some  have  American  trained  nurses.  Dr.  Cort 
returned  in  the  fall  of  1914  from  the  United  States  to  Chieng 
Mai  under  appointment  to  start  a  Medical  College  for  the 
training  of  native  doctors. 

There  are  thousands  of  lepers  in  Siam,  but  only  one  leper 
asylum.  This  is  on  an  island  four  miles  below  Chieng  Mai. 
Dr.  McKean  obtained  the  grant  of  this  site  from  the  Siamese 
Government  in  1907.  The  present  annual  expense  of  main¬ 
tenance  is  nearly  four  thousand  dollars.  The  completion  of 
permanent  buildings,  free  from  debt,  was  celebrated  with 
aiipropriate  opening  exercises  in  June,  1913.  The  seven  neat 


I 


36 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


brick  cottages  are  filled  with  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
lepers,  nearly  all  of  whom  have  become  Christians  and  mem¬ 
bers  of  the  “Leper  Church.”  Medical  work  among  the  Lao 
has  proved  a  most  effective  means  of  combating  their  super¬ 
stitious  belief  in  witchcraft  and  demon  worship. 

Tn  recent  years  special  effort  has  been  made  to  transfer 
financial  responsibility  in  increasing  measure  to  the  Siamese 
themselves,  with  such  success  that  in  no  other  country  do 
Presbyterian  Medical  iMissions  report  so  large  receipts  on 
the  field  as  in  Siam.  The  financial  cost  of  charity  cases  is 
made  good  by  fees  or  donations  from  those  able  to  pay,  so 
that  the  work  as  a  whole  is  fully  self-supporting. 

SCHOOLS. 

d'he  early  days,  when  little  directly  evangelistic  work  was 
possible,  saw  the  beginnings  of  the  present  important  schools 
both  for  boys  and  girls.  Years  of  patient  labor,  in  spite  of 
limitations  and  obstacles,  have  transformed  public  opinion, 
and  introduced  new  ideals  of  education. 

In  1878,  King  Chulalongkorn  appointed  Rev.  S.  G.  Mc¬ 
Farland  as  his  first  Superintendent  of  Instruction  and  head 
of  the  new  government  college.  Since  that  time  the  Siamese 
Government  has  organized  and  developed  a  new  educational 
system,  w'ith  a  prescribed  curriculum  and  under  State  control. 

This  advance  has  rendered  it  necessary  for  the  missions 
to  adopt  a  definite  educational  policy.  Each  station  aims  to 
provide  for  its  children  up  to  the  high  school  grade,  main¬ 
taining  boarding  schools  for  boys  and  girls,  and  day  schools 
where  necessary.  The  school  courses  conform  to  the  gov¬ 
ernment  code,  with  the  addition  of  Christian  teaching  in  every 
grade.  Each  mission  has  its  schools  of  higher  learning;  at 
Chieng  Mai,  Prince  Royal’s  College  and  the  Girls’  School; 
at  Bangkok,  the  Christian  College  and  the  Harriet  House 
School.  Each  of  these  includes  preparatory  classes  and  a 
Xormal  Department.  The  Harriet  House  School  is  the  most 
popular  and  infiuential  girls’  school  in  the  kingdom.  It  is 
full  to  overflowing,  with  more  than  one  hundred  pupils. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


37 


In  connection  with  the  cremation  ceremonies  in  March, 
1911,  for  the  late  King  Chnlalongkorn,  all  our  mission 
schools,  as  well  as  the  hospitals,  and  some  Christian  churches, 
shared  in  the  royal  distribution  of  memorial  gifts. 

The  Siamese  Government  is  moving  steadily  toward  a 
system  of  compulsory  education,  which  would  doubtless  in¬ 
crease  the  attendance  at  mission  as  well  as  other  schools. 

Mr.  Harris,  in  Laos  News  for  April,  1915,  says;  “Within  a 
few  years  all  our  schools  will  conform  to  a  single  curriculum, 
which,  in  turn,  will  be  the  curriculum  of  all  the  schools,  gov¬ 
ernment  and  mission,  throughout  Siam.  This  change  of 
policy  standardizes  our  educational  work;  it  has  greatly  in¬ 
creased  the  prestige  of  our  schools  in  the  eyes  of  the  people; 
and  finally,  it  has  won  the  favor  of  the  Government  Education 
Department,  who  are  pleased  to  find  us  conform  as  far  as 
possible  to  their  wishes  and  ideals.” 

At  Chieng  Mai  alone  about  two  hundred  mission  school 
pupils,  including  sixty  girls,  took  the  government  examina¬ 
tions  in  1915. 


STATIONS. 

South  Siam. 

For  many  years,  Bangkok,  lying  on  both  banks 
BANGKOK,  of  the  Me  Nam,  was  the  only  centre  of  mission- 
1840.  ary  work.  The  first  buildings  erected  were  on 

a  rented  site  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  In 
1857,  a  desirable  property  was  obtained  at  Sumray,  in  the 
southwestern  part  of  the  city,  where  the  mission  was  per¬ 
manently  established.  A  school  for  boys,  opened  in  1852, 
was  attended  at  first  only  by  Chinese  pupils.  Under  the 
devoted  care  of  Dr.  House,  Dr.  McDonald  and  their  suc¬ 
cessors,  the  school  became  well  established,  and  developed 
into  the  Boys’  Christian  High  School,  and  afterward  into 
the  Bangkok  Christian  College. 

By  the  aid  of  the  Troy  Branch  of  the  Woman’s  Synodical 
Society  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  a  Girls’  Boarding  School  was  be¬ 
gun  in  1874,  at  Wang  Lang,  five  miles  north  of  Sumray. 


38 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


The  first  principals  were  Mrs.  House,  whose  name  the  school 
now  bears,  and  Miss  Arabella  Anderson  (Mrs.  Henry  Noyes 
of  Canton).  After  several  changes.  Miss  Edna  Cole  look 
charge  in  1886,  and  has  been  identified  with  the  school  ever 
since. 

In  1910  the  self-supporting  First  Church  of  Bangkok, 
which  since  August,  1896,  has  been  in  charge  of  the  faithful 
native  pastor,  Kroo  Yuan,  dedicated  a  neat  new  chapel  build¬ 
ing,  costing  7,000  ticals,  without  aid  from  the  United  States, 
and  free  of  debt. 

The  “Krit  Sampantuwong”  (United  Christian  Family) 
Church,  organized  December,  1908,  worships  in  a  beautiful 
chapel  centrally  located  near  the  Bangkok  Christian  College. 
This  offshoot  of  the  First  Church  owes  its  origin  to  the 
leadership  of  a  grandson  of  the  first  Chinese  preacher, 
Quakieng,  Rev.  Boon-Itt,  who,  after  graduating  from 
Williams  College  and  Auburn  Seminary,  returned  to  devote 
his  life  to  his  countrymen  in  Siam.  The  building  was  well 
under  way  before  his  lamented  death  from  cholera  in  1903, 
and  was  carried  on  to  completion  in  accordance  with  his 
plans. 

The  membership  and  congregation  of  the  Second  Church 
is  largely  composed  of  present  or  former  pupils  of  the  Har¬ 
riet  House  School.  Its  services  are  held  in  the  school 
chapel.  The  government  hospital  next  door  is  in  charge  of 
George  McFarland,  M.  D.,  son  of  the  early  missionary.  Dr. 
Samuel  McFarland,  who  is  also  elder  of  this  church,  and 
often  preaches  there  most  acceptably  in  Siamese. 

The  membership  of  the  Third  Church  (Rajawong)  is  chiefly 
Chinese,  and  services  are  held  both  in  Chinese  and  Siamese. 
There  are  also  regular  evangelistic  services  at  the  “Confer¬ 
ence  Chapel,”  so-called  because  supported  by  the  Christian 
Conference,  and  at  Ban  Maw  Chapel,  where  “Siamese, 
Chinese,  Hindoos,  Burmese  and  a  few  Europeans  come  and 
go  like  the  waves  of  the  sea.” 

The  Boon-Itt  Mem.orial  Institute,  which  is  conducted  along 
similar  lines  to  Y.  M.  C.  A.  work,  but  under  Pres¬ 
byterian  Mission  auspices,  occupies  a  fine  site  in  Bangkok, 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


39 


bought  for  about  six  thousand  dollars  gold  with  funds  all 
given  on  the  field.  The  main  building  was  completed  in 
1909,  as  a  memorial  of  the  late  Rev.  Boon-Itt,  with  money 
raised  by  his  college  classmates  and  many  friends  in  the 
United  States,  thus  realizing  the  cherished  hopes  and  plans 
which  he  himself  was  not  spared  to  carry  out.  This  Asso¬ 
ciation  has  now  been  duly  registered  and  incorporated 
according  to  Siamese  law,  and  a  recent  campaign 
increased  the  membership  to  one  hundred  and  twenty. 

The  situation  of  Bangkok  affords  unlimited  opportunities 
for  itineration.  Rev.  Eugene  Dunlap,  D.  D.,,  the  senior 
member  of  the  mission,  has  spent  a  large  part  of  his  long 
ministry  in  visiting  both  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Siam  in  the 
mission  schooner,  and  has  made  long  journeys,  preaching, 
teaching  and  healing,  in  the  Malay  Peninsula  and  on  the 
shores  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal. 

Ayuthia  was  occupied  as  a  separate  station,  1872-74,  but 
the  available  force  was  not  sufficient  to  maintain  it.  The 
mission  still  holds  property  there,  and  Ayuthia  has  since  been 
worked  to  some  extent  from  Bangkok,  from  which  it  is  dis¬ 
tant  about  two  hours  by  rail. 

When  Petchaburi  was  first  visited  by  a  mis- 
PETCHABURI,  sionary  in  1843,  his  books  were  refused,  and 
1861.  all  his  attempts  at  Christian  teaching  were 

thwarted  by  the  authorities.  But  in  1859  the 
acting  Governor  welcomed  Dr.  McGilvary  cordially,  offering 
a  house  and  every  assistance,  if  missionaries  would  settle 
there  and  teach  his  son  English.  Sickness  and  death  in  the 
little  mission  circle  delayed  these  plans;  but  in  June,  1861, 
Dr.  McGilvary  was  finally  able  to  return  there  with  his  bride 
and  also  another  young  missionary  couple.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
McFarland.  A  site  fronting  the  river  was  secured  for  build¬ 
ings.  A  church  was  organized  in  1863,  a  girls’  school  opened 
in  1865,  and  eventually  a  boys’  school  and  a  hospital.  This 
station,  which  since  1905  has  been  within  five  hours’  journey 
by  rail  from  Bangkok,  could  then  be  reached  only  by  native 
rowboats,  a  journey  of  about  two  days  and  nights.  In  1913 
land  was  secured,  and  the  Boys’  School  transferred  to  new 


40 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


buildings.  Evangelistic  tours  are  regularly  made  through 
the  scattered  hamlets  and  out-stations  to  the  north  and  south. 

Ratbiiri,  thirty-two  miles  from  Petchaburi,  was  occupied 
in  1889.  Since  the  opening  of  the  railway,  it  has  been  pos¬ 
sible  to  oversee  the  work  from  Petchaburi,  and  in  1913  the 
last  resident  missionary  was  withdrawn. 

The  chapel,  schools  and  hospital,  with  a  missionary  resi¬ 
dence,  have  been  rebuilt  on  a  new  site.  The  hospital  is  cared 
for  by  a  Simo-Chinese  medical  man,  Kean  Koo,  who  is  com¬ 
petent  and  faithful. 

Pitsanuloke  was  one  of  the  ancient  capitals 
PITSANULOKE,  of  Siam,  and  is  still  a  provincial  capital.  It 
1899.  is  located  on  the  Nan  River,  two  hundred 

and  forty  miles  above  Bangkok.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Toy  and  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Boon-Itt  began  permanent 
work  there  in  1897,  although  Pitsanuloke  was  not  ofidcially 
recognized  as  an  independent  station  until  1899.  Dr.  Toy 
and  family  lived  for  some  time  in  a  house  boat,  which  served 
also  as  a  floating  dispensary,  there  being  for  several  years 
no  funds  available  for  suitable  dwellings  on  land.  The  hos¬ 
pital  buildings  and  the  substantial  teak  building  for  the 
Padoong  Rart  Boys’  School,  were  put  up  with  funds  raised 
entirely  on  the  field.  Since  1908  the  completion  of  the  rail¬ 
way  linking  Pitsanuloke  with  Bangkok  and  with  the  sur¬ 
rounding  towns  of  Pitsanuloke  field  has  greatly  improved  the 
facilities  for  touring  and  other  mission  work.  A  good 
motor  launch  has  also  been  secured  for  touring  by  water  in 
this  wide  field.  A  church  was  organized  in  August,  1909. 
IMany  improvements  have  recently  been  made  in  the  hospital 
buildings  with  funds  raised  by  Dr.  Shellman  on  the  field.  A 
new  building  was  put  up  in  1914  for  the  Girls’  School.  The 
enrollment  in  1915  was  about  forty  girls,  and  forty-five  in 
the  Padoong  Rart  School  for  Boys. 

“Pitsanuloke,"  says  Dr.  Brown’s  report,  “impressed  me  as  one  of 
the  strategic  points  in  all  Siam  for  a  w'ell-equipped  station.  Its  natural 
held  extends  northward  to  the  border  of  the  Laos  Mission  at  Uteradit, 
six  days  distant  by  boat,  and  along  the  intervening  river  bank  are  nearly 
two  hundred  villages.  Southward  the  Pitsanuloke  Station  has  no  less 
than  one  hundred  and  fifty  villages  lining  the  banks  between  it  and 
Paknampo,  an  eight  days’  journey,  where  it  meets  the  northern  end 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


41 


of  the  Bangkok  Station  field.  The  people  are  chiefly  farmers  and 
traders — the  most  reliable  class.  Westward  the  missionaries  can  find 
other  villages  during  a  six  days’  overland  trip  to  Raheng  on  the  Me 
Ping  River,  while  eastward  for  an  indefinite  distance  there  are  hundreds 
of  villages  which  have  never  even  seen  a  missionary.  Our  mission 
compound  is  a  spacious  tract,  extending  feet  along  the  river,  and 
650  feet  back  from  it.” 

The  liealing  of  a  native  of  this  province  at 
NAKON  SRI  the  Petchaburi  hospital  in  1883,  resulted  in 
TAMARAT,  1900.  his  conversion,  which  was  followed  up  by 
several  missionary  tours  to  that  region. 
In  1895  the  converts  were  organized  into  a  church.  Their 
number  grew,  and  in  March,  1900,  a  permanent  station  was 
opened  by  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Charles  Eckels  and  Dr. 
Hamilton.  For  some  years  this  distant  outpost,  three  hun¬ 
dred  and  fifty  miles  from  any  other  missionary,  was  most 
of  the  time  held  by  the  Eckels  family  alone.  They  kept  up 
dispensary  as  well  as  evangelistic  and  other  work  until  the 
transfer  from  Petchaburi  of  Dr.  Swart.  By  his  efforts  suf¬ 
ficient  funds  were  secured  to  build  and  equip  an  excellent 
hospital,  the  new  buildings  being  dedicated  in  1907.  All  the 
materials,  except  brick,  had  to  be  imported — teak  from  Lao 
forests,  other  lumber  and  paint  from  Bangkok,  tiles  and  lime 
from  Singapore,  cement  from  Copenhagen,  steilite  ceilings 
from  London,  and  hardware  from  New  York.  The  roomy 
wards  are  almost  constantly  filled,  and  at  times  patients  have 
to  wait  for  room.  Quite  a  number  of  these  patients  have 
been  converted  and  joined  the  church. 

The  new  station  at  Taptieng,  far  south  in  the 
TAPTIENG,  Malay  Peninsula,  was  opened  in  1910  by  Dr. 

1910.  E.  P.  Dunlap  and  wife,  and  Lucius  Bulkley, 
M.  D.  The  late  High  Commissioner,  Phya 
Ratsada,  had  built  and  donated  the  hospital  building  and 
,  the  doctor’s  residence  in  gratitude  for  his  recovery  under 
Dr.  Dunlap’s  treatment  from  a  serious  illness.  Taptieng  is 
an  important  market  town  in  Trang  Province,  and  in  1914 
was  linked  by  the  completion  of  the  railway  with  Nakon  Sri 
Tamarat,  and  was  also  made  a  post  office  and  telegraph  sta¬ 
tion,  thus  ending  its  previous  extreme  isolation  from  other 
workers  in  Siam. 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


North  Siam. 

Near  Petchabiiri  are  several  villages  settled  by 
CHIENG  MAI,  descendants  of  Lao  captives  of  war.  Becom- 
1867.  ing  deeply  interested  in  this  race,  Dr.  McGil- 
vary  and  Dr.  Wilson  secured  mission  author¬ 
ity  to  explore  the  unknown  region  to  the  north.  After 
spending  ten  days  at  Chieng  Mai,  January,  1864,  they  re¬ 
turned  full  of  enthusiasm  for  this  new  field.  But  such  mani¬ 
fold  difficulties  intervened  that  not  until  April,  1867,  after  a 
tedious  three  months’  trip  at  low  water  up  through  the  many 
rapids,  were  the  McGilvarys  able  to  open  at  Chieng  Mai  the 
first  station  among  the  I.ao  race.  The  Wilsons  followed 
early  the  next  year. 

What  hardships  and  hazards  this  involved,  we  can  now 
scarcely  realize.  Chieng  Mai  was  then  the  most  isolated  and 
distant  missionary  outpost  in  the  world,  as  far  in  time  of 
travel  beyond  Bangkok,  as  Bangkok  from  the  United  States, 
and  with  not  even  postal  service  till  many  years  later.  This 
involved  practically  cutting  themselves  off  from  former  asso¬ 
ciates,  to  maintain  a  separate  mission.  It  also  involved 
spending  many  years  in  open  native  salas  (rest  houses)  or 
bamboo  huts,  before  they  could  secure  land  and  homes. 
Until  the  arrival  of  the  first  medical  missionary.  Dr.  Vroo- 
man,  five  years  later,  these  isolated  families  faced  sickness 
and  even  death  of  darling  children,  with  no  trained  physician. 
In  one  instance,  when  Dr.  House  undertook  to  meet  a  special 
need  of  both  families,  he  was  not  only  unable  to  arrive  at 
the  critical  time,  but  nearly  lost  his  own  life,  being  gored 
by  his  elephant,  and  having  to  sew  up  his  own  dangerous 
wounds. 

Furthermore,  the  virtual  independence  of  Lao  chiefs  at 
that  time  left  the  strangers  largely  at  the  mercy  of  capricious 
local  officials,  their  isolation  putting  them  almost  beyond 
reach  of  effective  and  timely  protection,  either  from  the 
Siamese  Government  or  their  own  American  Consul  in 
Bangkok. 

There  were  in  1867  but  twenty-five  native  Presbyterian 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


43 


communicants  in  all  Siam,  or  about  one  convert  for  each 
Presbyterian  missionary  who  had  labored  in  that  field  during 
a  quarter  century. 

The  occupation  of  Chieng  Mai  at  such  a  time  had  seemed 
to  some  members  of  the  missions  premature;  and  when  dif¬ 
ficulties  and  dangers  multiplied,  they  again  urged  that  it 
was  prudent  to  withdraw.  The  determination  with  which 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  McGilvary  refused  to  give  up  this  post  might 
well  have  seemed  rash,  if  not  foolhardy;  yet  the  outcome  has 
fully  justified  their  sacrifices  and  their  faith,  for  this  Lao  field 
has  since  proved  an  exceptionally  fruitful  one. 

The  First  Church  of  Chieng  Mai  received  more  than  three 
hundred  new  members  in  1914,  and  more  than  three  thou¬ 
sand  v/ithin  the  half  century  of  its  history.  From  this  mother 
church,  thirteen  other  churches  have  successively  been  or¬ 
ganized,  and  it  still  numbers  more  than  one  thousand  three 
hundred  communicants. 

Chieng  Mai  is  the  largest  city,  the  oldest  station,  and  the 
chief  centre  for  institutional  mission  work  in  Northern  Siam, 
including  the  I.ao  Press,  Theological  Training  School,  Medi¬ 
cal  School,  and  Prince  Royal  College. 

The  Severance  Dormitory  for  the  Training  School  was 
completed  in  1915,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000  gold,  and  will  accom¬ 
modate  two  hundred  students.  During  1914  this  Training 
School  was  in  session  eight  months,  with  eighty-five  men 
enrolled,  representing  every  station  of  North  Siam. 

Soon  after  lack  of  funds  for  current  expenses  made  it 
necessar}'  to  limit  attendance  to  thirty  at  any  one  time,  dif¬ 
ferent  students  coming  at  different  times  for  one  or  two 
months  of  consecutive  study  and  training,  but  sent  out  each 
week  end  for  practical  experience  in  evangelistic  work. 

An  appeal  for  the  financial  support  of  this  work  was  sent 
to  all  the  Lao  churches.  The  first  gift  in  response  was  from 
the  Church  of  the  Lepers — the  equivalent  of  ten  dollars 
gold,  saved  from  their  pennies  by  these  poor  incurables,  who 
know  from  experience  what  the  Cospel  means  to  lives  other¬ 
wise  doomed  to  hopeless  misery. 

The  majority  of  the  students  are  men  of  limited  education 


44 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


employed  as  evangelists.  But  six  young  men,  representing 
three  stations,  are  preparing  themselves  for  ordination  by  a 
fuller  and  more  advanced  theological  course. 

Lampoon,  eighteen  miles  south  of  Chieng  Mai,  was  occupied 
in  1891  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Dodd,  the  government  granting  a 
fine  property  for  religious  and  medical  purposes.  In  recent 
years  this  has  been  grouped  with  Chieng  Mai,  as  a  sub¬ 
station. 

In  1877  a  venerable  man  of  high  rank, 
LAKAWN  LAMPANG,  then  seventy-three  years  of  age,  came 
1885.  to  Chieng  Mai  to  ask  medicine  for  his 

deafness,  and  referred  to  the  miracu¬ 
lous  cure  which  Christ  had  wrought  upon  a  deaf  man.  He 
proved  to  be  the  highest  official  of  the  court  in  the  Province 
of  I.akawn  Lampang.  Twenty  years  before,  he  had  visited 
Banglcok  and  received  religious  books  from  Dr.  Bradley 
printed  in  the  Siamese  character,  which  he  had  to  learn  for 
the  purpose  of  reading  them.  He  gave  assent  to  the  truth 
so  far  as  he  could  understand  it,  but  had  never  found  any 
missionary  to  give  him  further  instruction.  At  Chieng  Mai 
he  immediately  sought  out  the  missionaries,  and  made  this 
matter  his  one  study,  obtaining  Buddhist  books  from  the 
temple  and  comparing  them  with  Christian  books.  He  soon 
professed  his  faith  in  Christ  and  joined  the  Chieng  Mai 
church.  As  soon  as  he  was  known  to  be  a  Christian,  he 
was  ordered  back  to  his  native  city.  Threatened  with  death, 
he  said;  “If  they  want  to  kill  me  because  I  worship  Christ 
and  not  demons,  I  will  let  them  pierce  me.”  His  life  was 
spared  in  the  end,  but  office,  wealth  and  social  position  were 
taken,  and  he  was  ignored  by  all  his  friends.  Later  we  hear 
of  this  aged  man  starting  to  walk  all  the  way  to  Chieng  Mai, 
being  too  impoverished  to  command  any  mode  of  convey¬ 
ance.  The  result  of  this  second  visit  was  the  return  with 
him  of  two  native  members  from  the  Chieng  Mai  church 
to  begin  work  in  his  native  city.  Out  of  this  there  developed 
one  of  our  most  promising  stations;  and  the  whole  affair  is 
directly  traceable  to  the  patient  work  of  that  early  missionary 
who  never  in  this  life  came  to  know  anything  of  it. 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


45 


Lakawn  Lampang  (Lampang  City)  was  first  occupied  as  a 
permanent  station  in  1885  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Peoples,  who 
established  both  medical  and  school  work.  The  Governor 
gave  a  fine  site  for  a  hospital,  and  the  original  building  was 
put  up  in  1893. 

In  that  same  year  the  country  sufifered  from  a  terrible 
famine.  Even  the  seed-rice  was  consumed,  and  many  sold 
themselves  into  slavery.  Relief  committees  were  at  once 
formed,  and  by  the  aid  of  money  from  America  the  mission¬ 
aries  were  able  to  distribute  rice,  both  for  seed  and  food,  and 
relieve  the  worst  suffering  until  another  harvest  could  be 
gathered.  Nearly  ten  thousand  dollars  was  expended  in  this 
work  of  mercy,  which  did  much  to  open  the  hearts  of  the 
people  to  Christianity. 

The  station  work  is  centred  in  two  large  compounds  on 
the  river  about  a  mile  apart.  In  the  southern  compound 
are  two  missionary  homes  and  the  boys’  school.  Stretching 
back  from  this  compound  is  a  tract  of  sixty  acres  presented 
by  King  Chulalongkorn,  on  which  it  was  hoped  to  develop 
an  industrial  farm.  This  hope  is  now  being  realized  in  part. 
Eight  miles  east  rises  a  beautiful  chain  of  hills,  the  boundary 
of  the  province.  On  one  of  the  peaks  is  built  a  bamboo 
cottage,  to  which  the  missionaries  sometimes  resort  in  the 
hot  season  for  a  short  rest  in  the  cooler  air. 

The  church,  organized  in  1880,  has  grown  steadily,  and 
two  more  churches  have  been  organized.  The  membership 
includes  a  number  of  scattered  families  in  remote  villages, 
and  there  is  a  large  field  for  itinerating  work. 

A  training  class  is  maintained  for  Lao  helpers,  and  Bible 
women  are  employed  to  teach  the  women  in  their  homes. 

Three  Chinese  and  one  Siamese  gentlemen  of  means  jointly 
met  the  whole  expense  of  adding  to  the  hospital  plant  a  new 
ward,  which  was  dedicated  in  February,  1915,  the  donors 
naming  it  “Preeda  Ward,”  which  means  “Appreciation.” 
This  substantial  building  is  intended  for  the  use  of  high  class 
Asiatic  and  European  patrons,  and  is  well  adapted  to  its 
purpose. 


46 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


The  town  of  Prae  is  about  sixty-five  miles  east 
PRAE,  1893.  of  Lakawn  Lampang,  on  the  banks  of  the  Yome 
River,  and  in  the  centre  of  a  beautiful  and  fer¬ 
tile  plain,  dotted  with  villages.  The  population  within  a 
radius  of  fifteen  miles  is  estimated  at  one  hundred  thousand. 
The  famine  of  1893  was  specially  severe  in  this  region,  and 
many  heard  of  Christ  through  the  relief  work.  The  first 
resident  missionaries  were  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Briggs  in  1893, 
followed  in  1894  by  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Shields.  A  church  was 
organized,  and  school  and  dispensary  work  begun — all  show¬ 
ing  good  promise. 

In  1908,  the  missionary  in  charge  was  compelled  by  failing 
health  to  leave  Siam,  and  furthermore  the  undermining  of 
the  river  banks  at  flood  season  made  the  old  mission  com¬ 
pound  untenable.  But  a  fine  new  site  of  nearly  twenty  acres 
has  now  been  secured,  and  the  station  rebuilt.  Since  the 
arrival  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Gillies  in  December,  1911,  and  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Cort  in  February,  1912,  progress  has  been  very 
rapid.  In  1914,  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  new  mem¬ 
bers  were  gathered  into  the  church.  Both  the  medical  work 
and  schools  also  show  encouraging  progress  in  numbers  and 
self-support. 

Nan  is  a  beautiful  walled  city  on  the  Nan  River, 
NAN,  1894.  and  capital  of  Nan  Province,  which  has  a  popu¬ 
lation  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  It 
was  visited  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Peoples  in  1894,  but  their  per¬ 
manent  occupation  was  delayed  until  September,  1895.  A 
vigorous  church  has  been  developed,  and  the  city  is  also  an 
important  centre  for  itinerating,  with  many  out-stations. 
The  Sunday  school  raises  funds  to  send  out  one  of  its  mem¬ 
bers  as  an  evangelist.  Each  March  a  Conference  for  Chris¬ 
tian  Workers  is  held,  with  special  reference  to  the  needs  of 
the  country  Christians. 

Since  1914,  the  general  evangelistic  work  has  been  in  the 
care  of  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Peoples.  This  is  the  first  time  in  the 
history  of  the  station  that  there  has  been  a  man  free  to  devote 
his  whole  time  to  evangelistic  touring. 

Dr.  Taylor,  in  charge  of  Nan  Church,  reported  forty-four 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


47 


adults  baptized  in  1914 — threefold  more  than  the  previous 
year. 

In  January,  1915,  the  schools  had  seventy-five  boys  en¬ 
rolled,  forty  of  whom  were  boarders,  and  fifty-five  girls. 

Mr.  Palmer,  Principal  of  tlie  Boys’  School,  says:  “We  are 
rejoicing  in  our  new  brick  building,  which  has  a  nice  assem¬ 
bly  room  and  three  class  rooms.  The  acetylene  gas  plant 
gives  excellent  light.  When  the  wings  planned  for  and 
needed  are  built,  we  would  not  trade  our  school  plant  for  any 
other  in  the  mission.”  The  Girls’  School  was  also  soon  to 
be  housed  in  a  new  brick  building. 

The  antiquated  wooden  structure  that  now  serves  as  a 
hospital  needs  to  be  replaced  with  a  suitable  building.  Dr. 
Beach  reports  his  discovery  of  the  startling  prevalence  of 
the  hook-worm  infection.  Examination  of  more  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty  individuals  from  a  wide  area  in  the  province 
showed  indications  that  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  common  peo¬ 
ple  are  victims  of  the  malady. 

Dr.  McGilvary  first  preached  the  Gospel  at 
CHIENGRAI,  Chiengrai  (Chienghai)  in  1872,  beginning  those 
1897.  annual  tours  which,  by  the  blessing  of  God, 
resulted  in  the  formal  opening  of  a  station  in 
1897,  with  Rev.  W.  C.  Dodd,  Dr.  Denman  and  their  wives, 
as  the  first  resident  missionaries. 

This  frontier  post,  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles  north  of 
Chieng  Mai,  is  essentially  an  itinerating  station.  The  coun¬ 
try  trails  are  difficult  from  May  to  September,  but  all  the 
cool  season  is  utilized  for  trips  by  land  and  water,  often  to 
districts  never  before  visited  by  missionaries.  The  tours  of 
Dr.  McGilvary  in  1897  and  1898  among  the  “Ka  Mu”  hill 
tribes  living  in  French  territory  east  of  the  Cambodian 
frontier  resulted  in  the  formation  of  a  little  church.  These 
converts  were  visited  by  Lao  evangelists,  and  by  Dr.  Dodd 
and  others,  until  the  F'rench  authorities  forbade  further  visits 
and  even  the  circulation  of  papers  and  leaflets  in  the  Lao 
dialect.  There  would  probably  be  no  objection,  however,  to 
evangelistic  work  among  these  Lao.  if  conducted  by  a  sepa¬ 
rate  mission  located  entirely  within  French  territory,  and  by 
workers  who  could  speak  French. 


48 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


The  Chiengrai  Church  has  built  a  chapel  and  maintains  a 
liourishing  Sunday  school.  The  organization  of  Chieng 
Kum  Church'  in  September,  1914,  makes  six  churches  in  this 
station  field,  with  a  present  membership  of  one  thousand 
communicants. 

The  Kennedy  Boys’  School,  a  boarding  school  for  girls, 
and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  day  pupils  enrolled  in  eight 
parochial  schools,  testify  to  the  interest  in  education  at  this 
distant  station. 

The  Overbrook  Hospital  (a  gift  from  the  Gest  family  of 
Overbrook,  Pennsylvania)  is  the  finest  building  in  the  North 
Siam  Mission. 

Keng  Tung  (pronounced  Keng  Toong),  in 
KENG  TUNG.  British  Burma,  eleven  days’  journey  north  of 
Chiengrai,  was  occupied  by  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Dodd,  1904-08,  and  a  promising  work  begun,  with  an  organ¬ 
ized  church  and  nearly  fifty  members.  The  Presbyterian 
Board  has  since  yielded  that  territory  to  the  Baptists,  but 
has  planned  for  the  opening  instead  of  a  new  station  at 
Chieng  Rung,  as  soon  as  funds  permit. 

Chieng  Rung  (also  called  Chieng  Hung, 
CHIENG  RUNG,  pronounced  Hoong  or  Roong)  is  an  import¬ 
ant  town  on  the  Kong  (Cambodian)  River, 
three  hundred  miles  north  of  Chieng  Mai,  in  South  Yunnan, 
China.  This  will  be  the  strategic  centre  for  extension  of 
mission  work  among  the  eight  million  unevangelized  Lao 
beyond  the  frontier  of  Siam. 

SIAM  IN  THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY. 

The  Government  of  Siam  had  an  exhibit  at  the  St.  Louis 
Exposition  of  1903,  and  made  a  still  more  creditable  showing 
in  the  Siamese  pavilion  at  the  Panama  Exposition  of  1915. 

Since  the  opening  of  this  twentieth  century,  railway  con¬ 
struction  and  various  other  unifying  influences  have  brought 
the  various  peoples  and  missions  of  Indo-Qiina  into  closer 
relations  than  ever  before. 

The  Siam  Council,  representing  both  Presbyterian  Mis- 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


49 


sions,  has  been  established  to  consult  on  matters  of  common 
concern,  with  a  view  to  secure  closer  co-operation  and 
greater  efficiency.  And  when,  in  1915,  war  conditions  in 
Europe  brought  serious  financial  embarrassment  upon  the 
Swiss  Mission  to  the  Lao  race  in  French  territory,  members 
of  both  Presbyterian  missions  in  Siam  personally  contributed 
over  three  hundred  ticals  for  their  relief. 

A  Conference  of  Christian  Workers,  held  annually  since 
1905,  has  done  much  to  inspire  and  stimulate  the  Christians 
there  assembled  from  widely  separated  fields  of  work.  Of 
the  fifty-two  speakers  who  took  assigned  parts  in  the  three 
days’  program  of  the  1914  Conference  in  Bangkok,  thirty- 
nine  were  Siamese.  A  Simo-Chinese,  Kroo  Kim  Heng,  was 
chosen  to  preside  as  chairman,  and  under  his  efficient  leader¬ 
ship  the  meeting  was  a  great  success. 

It  is  expected  that  by  1917  all  our  existing  mission  stations 
in  Siam  will  be  linked  together  by  railway  and  motor  lines, 
extending  from  Chieng  Mai  in  the  far  north  to  Taptieng  in 
the  extreme  south. 

The  South  Siam  Mission  has  now  (July,  1915) 
STATISTICS  five  principal  stations,  with  forty-eight  Ameri- 
OF  GROWTH,  can  missionaries:  and  North  Siam,  five  princi¬ 
pal  stations,  with  fifty-seven  missionaries — one 
hundred  and  five  in  all,  including  some  on  furlough.  The 
1914  reports  showed  for  the  Presbytery  of  Siam,  thirteen 
organized  churches,  with  819  communicants  and  936  pupils 
in  thirteen  Sunday  schools;  for  North  Lao  Presbytery, 
twenty-eight  organized  churches,  with  6,934  communicants 
and  6,588  pupils  in  eighty  Sunday  schools.  During  the  past 
three  years,  1912-14  inclusive,  3,830  new  members  have  been 
gathered  into  the  Church,  the  average  each  year  thus  ecpial- 
ing  the  whole  number  gained  in  the  first  half  century, 
i8z]o-9o. 

The  number  of  pupils,  in  round  numbers,  had  in  1914 
increased  to  1,500  boys  and  900  girls  in  fifty  mission  schools. 
Of  these,  one-fourth  were  boarders,  and  150  pupils  joined 
the  Church  within  the  year.  The  total  school  revenues  in 
.Siam  were,  in  United  States  money,  $25,000;  and  medical 
revenues,  $31,500. 


50 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


I'hree  schools  in  North  Siam  and  seven  in  South  Siam 
were  fully  self-supporting. 

Of  the  eighteen  Montons  (Provinces)  in 
CLAIMS  OF  SIAM,  the  Kingdom  of  Siam,  seven  only  now 

have  any  resident  Protestant  missionary. 
Seven  others  can  be  worked  more  or  less  bv  extended  tours. 
Rut  the  four  provinces  to  the  east,  approximately  equal  in 
area  and  population  to  the  whole  State  of  Michigan  (over 
60,000  square  miles  and  2,530,000  souls),  are  still  unevangel¬ 
ized,  and  so  distant  as  to  be  practically  inaccessible  from  any 
existing  station. 

To  meet  the  urgent  need  of  this  region,  the  missions  are 
anxious  to  establish  a  station  at  Korat,  and  probably  another 
at  Roy  Ett,  capital  of  the  province  next  beyond.  Both  mis¬ 
sions  recently  approved  the  offer  of  two  experienced  mis¬ 
sionaries  to  pioneer  this  work  as  soon  as  feasible,  though  it 
cannot  be  undertaken  with  the  present  force.  As  Dr.  Arthur 
Brown  reported  so  long  ago  as  1902;  “Korat,  750  feet  above 
sea  level,  is  a  wdiolly  independent  centre,  terminus  of  a  rail¬ 
way  which  gives  it  direct  communication  with  Bangkok,  one 
hundred  and  sixty-three  miles  distant.  When  we  occupy 
Korat,  our  work  will  touch  all  the  important  centres  in 
Siam.” 

“In  North  Siam  there  is  a  general  expectation  of  another 
Buddha,  Ahreya  Mettai.  These  people,  hungry  for  truth 
that  satisfies  and  longing  for  light,  are  awaiting  the  coming 
of  the  promised  Messiah  of  Buddhism.  Never  has  the  Chris¬ 
tian  missionary  had  a  better  opportunity  to  take  tactful  ad¬ 
vantage  of  a  national  belief  to  present  the  Gospel  of  Christ.” 

“In  spite  of  obstacles,  Siam  and  Lao  are  among  our  most 
promising  mission  fields.  There  are  notable  advantages  in 
the  openness  of  the  entire  country,  the  good-will  of  all  classes, 
the  willingness  of  high  officials  to  send  their  children  to  our 
schools,  the  frankly  expressed  gratitude  of  the  King  and  his 
Ministers  for  the  services  the  missionaries  have  rendered  to 
Siam,  and  the  comparative  absence  of  that  bitter  poverty 
which  so  oppresses  the  traveler  in  India.  Then  there  is  no 
caste,  no  ancestral  worship,  no  child  marriage,  no  shutting 
up  of  women  in  inaccessible  zenanas.” 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


51 


Nor  should  we  forget  that  this  extensive  field,  peopled  by 
the  Tai  race,  has,  in  the  Providence  of  God,  been  committed 
to  our  Presbyterian  Church,  though  but  a  small  part  has 
yet  been)  occupied,  so  that  for  this  our  special  field  we  alone 
must  bear  the  grave  responsibility. 

The  favor  of  princes  is  proverbially  uncertain.  Political 
complications  may  some  day  close  against  us  the  doors  that 
now  stand  so  invitingly  open.  The  revival  of  interest  in 
historic  Buddhism  may  end  in  transforming  easy  tolerance 
into  active  antagonism.  We  can  scarcely  expect  that  the 
present  remarkable  freedom  from  external  obstacles  will 
always  continue,  should  we  neglect  our  present  opportunity. 


52 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


MISSIONARIES  IN  SIAM,  1840-1915. 

*  Died  while  connected  with  the  Mission.  Dates,  term  of  service  in  the  field. 
1  Signifies  reappointed;  2  transferred;  3  service  in  both  Missions. 

For  the  list  of  missionaries  at  each  station,  consult  the  current  Year  Book. 

South  Siam. 


-Anderson,  Miss  Arabella 


F.  (Mrs.  Henry  Noyes, 

China)  . 1872-1876 

Armstrong,  Rev.  Harry.1901-1902 

Armstrong,  Mrs . 1901-1902 

Arthur,  Rev.  R . 1871-1873 

Arthur,  Mrs . 1871-1873 

Bates,  Miss  Elsie  (Mrs. 

Vernon  Kellett)  . 1891-1898 

Berger,  Rev.  Christian.  1888-1890 
Berger,  Mrs.  (Miss 

Van  Email)  . 1887-1890 

'’  Bissell,  Miss  Edna . 1899-1906 

Blount,  Miss  Bertha.. ..  1908- 
*Boon-Itt,  Rev.  Boon. . .  .1893-1903 
Boon-Itt,  Mrs.  Kim 

Hawk . 1897-1903 

-Boyd,  Harry,  AI.  D. 

(China)  . 1931-1902 

-Boyd,  Mrs.  (China) ...  1901-1902 
Buell,  Rev.  William. . . .  1840-1844 

Buell,  Mrs . 1840-184^ 

Bulkley,  Lucius,  M.  D.  .1905- 
Bulkley,  Airs.  (Aliss  E. 

Bruner)  .  1903- 

Bush,  Rev.  Stephen . 1849-1852 

*Bush,  Airs . 1849-1851 

Caldwell,  Air.  Albert. ..  1909-1912 

Caldwell,  Airs . 1909-1912 

Carden,  Rev.  Patrick. ..  1866-1868 

Carden,  Airs . 1866-1868 

-Carrington,  Rev.  John, 

D.  D.  (Bible  Society)  1869-1875 

Carrington,  Airs . 1869-1875 

Christensen,  Aliss  J. ...1911- 
Coffman,  Aliss  Sarah. . .  1874-1882 

^Cole,  Aliss  Edna  S . 1879- 

Conybeare,  Air.  Samuel.  1909-1911 


Conybeare,  Airs . 1909-1911 

1  Cooper,  Rev.  Willard. .  1886- 
Cooper,  Airs.  Nettie 

Sayers  . 1886-1887 

Cooper,  Airs.  (Aliss  S. 

E.  Parker)  . 1890- 

Cooper,  Aliss  Larissa  J..  1890- 

Cort,  Aliss  Alary . 1874-1891 

Cross.  Airs.  Samuel 

(Aliss  Linnell)  . 1882-1885 

Culbertson,  Rev.  John . .  1871-18S1 
Culbertson,  Airs.  (Aliss 
Belle  Caldwell)  . 1878-18S1 

2  Dickey,  Aliss  Elizabeth 

(China)  . 1871-1873 

Dunlap,  Rev.  E.,  D.  D. .  .1875- 
Dunlap,  Airs.  Emma. . .  1875- 
Dunlap,  Rev.  J.,  D.  D. ..i8^- 
Dunlap,  Airs.  (Aliss 

Alary  Stoaks)  . 1888- 


Eakin,  Rev.  John,  D.D.  .1888- 
*Eakin,  Airs.  (Aliss 

Laura  Olmstead)  ...1880-1896 
Eakin,  Airs.  (Airs. 


Lyman,  1896)  . 1899- 

Eakin,  Aliss  Elizabeth. .  1891-1901 

Eakin,  Rev.  Paul . 1913- 

Eakin,  Aliss  Ruth . 1914- 

Eckels,  Rev.  Charles. ..  1888- 
Eckels,  Airs.  (Aliss  AI. 

Galt)  . 1891- 

Ellinwood,  Aliss  Alice.. 1911- 
^  Franklin,  Rev.  Robert ..  1902- 

^  Franklin,  Airs . 1902- 

F'uller,  Rev.  Graham. .  .1915- 

Fuller,  Airs . 1915- 

Gait,  Aliss  Annabel. ...  1891- 
George,  Rev.  Samuel  C.  1862-1873 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


53 


George,  Mrs . 1862-1873 

Grimstead,  Miss  S.  D. ..  1874-1877 
2  Hamilton,  Guy,  M.  D. 

(China)  . 1899-190T 

-  Hamilton,  Mrs.  (China)  .1899-1901 
Hartwell,  Miss  Mary. ..  1879-1884 

Hays,  T.  H.,  M.  D . 1886-1891 

Hays,  Mrs.  (Miss  J. 

Nielson)  . 1884-1890 


House,  Rev.  S.,  M.  D. ..  1847-1876 
House,  Mrs.  Harriet  N.  1856-1876 


Jones,  Rev.  Robert  C. ..1899- 
Jones,Mrs.Jegsie  Magill  1899- 
Lee,  William,  M.  D..  .  .1890-1891 

Lee,  Mrs . 1890-1891 

*Lyman,  Rev.  F.  L . 1896-1897 

Mattoon,  Rev.  Stephen .  1847-1865 
*Mattoon,  Mrs . 1847-1864 

-  McCauley,  Rev.  J.  M. 

(Japan)  . 1878-1880 

-  McCauley,Mrs.  (Japan)  1878-1880 
McClelland,  Rev.  Chas. .  1880-1882 

McClelland,  Mrs . 1880-1882 

McClure,  Rev.  W.,  D.D.  1886- 
McClure,  Mrs. (Miss  M. 

J.  Henderson)  . 1886- 

*McClure,  Mr.  Arthur. .  1912-1915 
McClure,  Miss  Helen. .  .1914- 


McCord,  Miss  Margaret.  1905- 
McDaniel,Edward,M.D.  1903- 


McDaniel,  Mrs . 1903- 

McDonald,  Rev.N.,D.D.  1860-1886 

McDonald,  Mrs . 1860-1884 

McDonald,  Miss  Hattie.  1879-1882 
McDonald,  Miss  Mary .  1881-1886 
McFarland,  Rev.  Samuel 

D.  D . 1860-1878 

McFarland,  Mrs . 1860-1878 

McKee,  Rev.  Archie. ..  1899-1901 

McKee,  Mrs . 1899-1901 

*McLaren,  Rev.  Charles.  1882-1883 
Mercer,  Miss  Bertha. ..  1912- 
Moeller,  Miss  Beatrice.  1912- 
Moody,  Rev.  Hugh ....  1905-1907 


Moody,  Mrs . 1905-1907 

Morse,  Rev.  Andrew. ..  1856-1857 

Morse,  Mrs . 1856-1857 

*Odell,  Mr.  John . 1863-1864 

Paddock,  Benj.,  M.  D.  .1888-1890 
Post,  Rev.  Richard ....  1902- 

Post,  Mrs . 1902- 

Ricketts,  Miss  Annie 

(Mrs.  Chas.  Barley)  .  1893-1895 
Shellman,  Carl,  M.  D.  .1906- 

Shellnian,  Mrs . 1906- 

*Sma!l,  Miss  Jennie . 1886-1891 

Snyder,  Rev.  Frank. ...  1890- 

Snyder,  Mrs . 1890- 

Spilman,  Mr.  Edward. .  1909- 

Spilman,  Mrs . 1912- 

Steele,  Mr.  Clarence. .  .1911- 

Steele,  Mrs . 1911- 

Stewart,  Rev.  Herbert.  1910- 

Stewart,  Mrs . 1910- 

-  Sturge,  Ernest,  M.  D. 

(San  Francisco)  ....1880-1885 
-Sturge,  Mrs.  (San 

Francisco)  . 1881-1885 

Swart,  William,  M.  D.. .  1898-1913 

*Swart,  Mrs . 1898-1901 

Swart,  Mrs . 1905-1913 

*Thompson,  James,  M.D.  1886-1898 

Thompson,  Mrs . 1886-1893 

Toy,  Walter,  M.  D . 1891-1905 

*Toy,  Mrs . 1891-1905 

Van  Dyke,  Rev.  James.  1869-1886 

Van  Dyke,  Mrs . 1869-1883 

Van  Metre,  Paul,  M.  D.  1913- 

Van  Metre,  Mrs . 1913- 

W'achter,  Rev.  E.,  M.D.  .1884- 
Wachter,  Mrs.  (Mrs. 

McLaren)  . 1882- 

Walker,  Chas.,  M.  D. ..  1904-1913 

*Walker,  Mrs . 1904-1906 

Walker,  Mrs.  Winnett.  .  1911-1913 
*Wilson,  Maria  (Mrs. 

Jonathan)  . 1858-1860 


54 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


North  Siam. 


Bachtell,  Rev.  Ray . 1911- 

*Bachtell,  Mrs.  (Miss 

Campbell)  . 1910-1915 

Barrett,  Rev.  A.  P . 1904-1907 

Barrett,  Mrs . 1904-190“ 

Beach,  William,  M.  D..  1912- 

Beach,  Mrs . 1912- 

Beebe,  Rev.  Lyle . 1908- 

*Beebe,  Mrs . 1911-1913 

Briggs,  Wm.,  M.  D . 1890- 

*Briggs,  Mrs . 1890-1891 

Briggs,  Mrs . 1^2- 

Brunner,  Miss  Hazel. .  .1912- 

Buck,  Miss  Edith . 1903- 

1  Callender,  Rev.  Chas. ..1896- 


1  Callender,  Mrs.  Chas...  1896- 
*Campbell,  Miss  Mary. .  .1879-1881 
Campbell,  Rev.H.,  D.D.  1894- 
Campbell,  Mrs.  Sarah..  1894- 
Carothers,  Miss  Eliz _ 1904-1910 


Cary,  A.  M.,  M.  D . 1886-1888 

*Cary,  Mrs . 1886-1887 

Cheek,  Marion,  M.  D. ..  1875-1886 
Cheek,  Mrs.  Sarah  B..  .1875-1883 
Collins,  Rev.  David. ...  1886- 

Collins,  Mrs . 1886- 

Cornell,  Howard,  M.D..  1903-1904 

Cornell,  Mrs . 1903-1904 

Cort,  Edwin,  M.D . 1908- 

Cort,  Mrs.  (Miss  Mabel 

Gilson)  . 1904- 

Crooks,  Charles,  M.D...  1904- 

Crooks,  Mrs . 1904- 

Curtis,  Rev.  L.  H . 1895-1899 

Curtis,  Mrs.  Lilian . 1895-1899 

Denman,  Rev.  C.,  M.D.  .1894-1906 

Denman,  Mrs . 1894-1906 

Dodd,  Rev.  Wm.,  D.D.1886- 
Dodd,  Mrs.  (Miss  Belle 

Eakin)  . 1888- 

*Fleeson,  Miss  Kate. ...  1888-1905 
Freeman,  Rev.  John  H..1894- 
•■^F'reeman,  Mrs.  (Miss 

Emma  Flitchcock)  ..1892- 


Ghormley,  Miss  Hattie.  1895-1899 
Gillies,  Rev.  Roderick.  .1902- 
Gillies,  Mrs.  (Miss  M. 


A.  McGilvary)  . 1891- 

Griffin,  Miss  Isabella. ..  1882-1903 

Hansen,  Carl,  M.  D _ 1895-1908 

Hansen,  Mrs . 1895-1907 

Flarris,  Rev.  William  ...1895- 


Harris,  Mrs.  (Miss  C. 

H.  McGilvary)  . . 1889- 

Hartzell,  Rev.  Jacob.  ..1912- 


Hartzell,  Mrs . 1912- 

Hatch,  Miss  Julia . 1894-1903 

“Hearst,  Rev.  J.  (Japan)  1882-1883 
-Hearst,  Mrs.  (Japan) .  .1882-1883 
-Irwin,  Rev.  Robert 

(Bible  Society)  . 1890-1905 

Irwin,  Mrs.  (Mary 
Bowman,  M.  D.)  ...  .1895-1905 

Irwin,  Miss  Alta . 191S- 

Lyon,  William,  M.D....1912- 

Lyon,  Mrs . 1912- 

MacCluer,  Rev.  Donald.  1910-1911 
MacCluer,  Mrs.  S.  C.. .  1910-191 1 

MacKay,  Rev.  C.  A _ 1902-1904 

*MacKay,  Mrs . 1902-1903 

Martin,  Rev.  Chalmers, 

D.  D . 1884-1886 

Martin,  Mrs . 1884-1886 

Mason,  Claude,  M.D. ..1906- 

Mason,  Mrs . 1906- 

Maxwell,  Miss  Maud..  1914- 


2 McGilvary,  Mrs.  S.  B..1860- 
McGilvary,Rev.Evander  1891-1894 

McGilvary,  Mrs . 1891-1894 

McKean,  James,  M.D. ..1889- 

McKean,  Mrs . 1889- 

McKean,  Miss  Kate. . .  .1912- 
McMullin,  Mr.  Arthur. .  1912- 
Niederhauser,  Miss  M..  1915- 
Palmer,  Rev.  Marion. .  1906- 
Palmer,  Mrs . 1906- 


THE  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


55 


Park,  Rev.  David . 1899-190S 

Park,  Mrs . 18^-1908 

Park,  Charles,  M.D . 1913- 

Park,  Mrs.  (Miss 

Marie  Collins)  . 1910- 

Peoples,  Rev.  S.,  M.D..  .1882- 
Peoples,  Mrs.  (Miss 

Sarah  Wirt)  . 1882- 

*Phraner,  Rev.  Stanley. .  1890-1895 
*Phraner,  Mrs.  Stanley .  1890-1891 
Phraner,  Mrs.  (Miss  E. 

Westervelt)  . 1884-1895 

Preston,  Mr.  Newell ...  1914- 

Preston,  Mrs . 1914- 

Reid,  Mr.  Henry . 1911-' 

Reid,  Mrs.  (Miss  A. 

Burr)  . 1912- 

Shields,  Rev.  William.  .1894-1903 

Shields,  Mrs . 1894-1900 

Starling,  Miss  Lucy. ...  1909- 
Taylor,  Rev.  PL,  D.D...1888- 
Taylor,  Mrs . 1888- 


Thomas,  Rev.J.S.,  M.D.  1894-1903 

Thomas,  Mrs . 1894-1903 

Van  Vranken,  Miss  E.  .1906- 
Vincent,  Rev.  Howell ..  1903- 

Vincent,  Mrs . 1903- 

Vrooman,  Chas.,  M.D.. .  1871-1873 
2Waite,  Rev.  J.  (China)  .  1899-1901 
2Waite,  Mrs.  (China). ..  1899-1901 
^Waite,  Rev.  A.  (China)  .  1899-1901 
2  Warner,  Miss  Antoin¬ 


ette  (Japan)  . 1882-1885 

White,  Rev.  Henry . 1902- 

White,  Mrs . 1902- 


*3  Wilson,  Rev.  J.,  D.D. .  1858-191  r 
*3  Wilson,  Mrs.  Kate. ..  1866-1876 
Wilson,  Miss  Margaret.  1895-1907 
^Wishard,  Miss  Florence 
(Mrs.  Albert  Fulton, 


of  China)  . 1882-1883 

Worthington,  Miss  H...1913- 
Yates,  Rev.  William. ...  1909-1913 


56 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF 


BOOKS  OF  REFERENCE. 

Encyclopaedia  Brilannica,  art.  Siam. 

An  Oriental  Land  of  the  Free.  Freeman.  1910.  Presbyterian  Board 
of  Publication. 

The  Kingdom  of  Siam.  Carter.  1904.  Putnam  Sons. 

Christ  and  Buddha.  Cushing.  1907.  American  Baptist  Pub.  Society. 
Nearer  and  P'arther  East;  Chapter  V,  on  Siam.  Dr.  Arthur  J.  Brown. 
190S.  35  cents. 

The  White  Elephant  (bi-monthly).  25  cents  a  year.  405  West  Adams 
Street,  Fairheld,  Iowa. 

Educational  Series,  Siam.  3  cents.  Philadelphia.  1915. 

Medical  Mission  Series,  Siam.  3  cents.  Philadelphia.  1914. 
Itinerating  in  Siam.  Dr.  E.  P.  Dunlap.  1907.  3  cents.  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions,  New  York. 


Work  among  Lepers.  J.  W.  McKean,  M.D.  1910. 

Boon  Itt  in  Siam.  Dr.  J.  A.  Eakin.  Philadelphia.  6  cents. 

Call  to  Siam.  Mrs.  Julia  Cole.  Chicago.  1908.  2  cents. 

Siam;  Questions  and  Answers  for  Bands.  Philadelphia.  1915.  5  cts. 

Lotus  Land.  Thompson.  igo6.  Lippincott  Co.,  Philadelphia. 

A  Half  Century  among  the  Siamese  and  Lao.  Dr.  McGilvary.  1912. 
Revell  Co.  $2.00. 

The  Laos  of  North  .Siam.  Mrs.  Curtis.  1903.  $1.25. 

Laos  Folklore.  Miss  Fleeson.  1899. 

Around  the  World  Series  of  Missions.  Bradt  Party,  1912.  Chapters 
VH-IX.  Missionary  Press  Co.  $1.50. 

Miracles  of  Missions.  First  Series,  No.  IV.  Dr.  Arthur  Pierson. 
Funk  &  Wagnalls. 

The  Light  of  Asia  and  the  Light  of  the  World.  Dr.  S.  H.  Kellogg. 
1885.  MacMillan  &  Co. 

Siam  and  Laos.  1884.  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publication.  $1.85. 

.Siam  the  Heart  of  Farther  India.  Miss  M.  L.  Cort.  1886.  Randolph 

Co.  $1.75. 

Siam:  Its  Government,  Manners  and  Customs.  Dr.  N.  A.  McDonald. 
1884.  $1.25. 


Note. — The  above  list  has  been  carefully  selected,  after  wide  reading, 
with  a  view  to  include  only  publications  of  real  value.  But  for  busy 
people  who  cannot  read  all,  the  compiler  specially  recommends  the 
works  listed  above  the  line,  as  up  to  date  and  important. 


'-rM 


